African Water Development Report 2006 - United Nations Economic ...

African Water Development Report 2006Box 10.3: Floods have ravaged much of Mozambique.Map courtesy of the BBCAt least 70 people have died in the flooding in Mozambique, according to reports.More than 300,000 people have been forced from their homes by twoweeks of torrential rains. Officials say the homeless are now at risk for outbreaksof water-borne disease, such as cholera, malaria and meningitis. United Nationsofficials in Maputo said they had had no official reports of cholera deaths, butSouth African radio reported that between 15 and 18 people were dying of thedisease every day in the central town of Beira.In addition to flood damages, Cyclone Eline, which hit the coast on Tuesday nearBeira with winds of up to 260 kmh (160 mph), left widespread destruction alongthe coastline. From Inhambane to Beira, the storm cut power and water supplies,tore corrugated-iron roofs from houses, and uprooted coconut palm trees andtelegraph poles. The Mozambican Government estimates that a total of 800,000people across the country have been affected by the dual disasters. Most of themare in urgent need of food aid and assistance, according to the U.N.Disasters Steal Hope from Growing EconomyAid workers worry that the disaster could have devastating effects on the Mozambique’s struggling, yet growing,economy. The country’s war ended less than a decade ago, but its economy has grown at a rate of more than 10percent in each of the past three years - a seemingly impossible feat in Africa.But Mozambique’s worst flooding in 50 years has caused more destruction to infrastructure than the war itself, settingthe country back at least two years, aid workers say. Farmers and government officials in the region say floodshave destroyed crops probably worth millions of dollars, pushing the country into an increased dependence on aid.Throughout Southern Africa, flooding has taken more than 200 lives. In addition to Mozambique, torrential rainsand flooding have ravaged nearby Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa and Namibia, destroying homes, topplingpower lines and submerging cropland. Renewed flooding across northern parts of South Africa has killed at least 12people in recent days, South African police said on Thursday, taking the toll to more than 55 this month.In Zimbabwe, Eline also left a trail of destruction. The cyclone passed over the east and south of the country,knocking down bridges, sweeping away homes and causing dams to collapse. The state news agency Ziana reportedthat air force helicopters and fleets of government trucks are moving stranded flood victims to higher ground.Zimbabwe has appealed for international help and declared three of its most flooded provinces disaster areas.Felecia, downgraded to a tropical depression, is now moving west, prompting flood warnings as far away as Botswana.The country is still trying to recover from last week’s deluge, when the normally arid nation received 75percent of its average annual rainfall in three days. Floods swept away 10,000 homes and some areas still remaincut off. Now Botswana finds itself on alert again as the government evacuates flood-prone areas in preparation forthe coming storm (Kriner S, 2000).Drought ManagementDrought is the result of interrelationships amongvaried complex natural and anthropogenic factorsthat are yet to be fully understood. It is the thirdmost common disaster by occurrence in Africa,accounting for 31 per cent of all natural disasterevents in the continent during 1975 – 2002(Vordzorgbe 2003 B). Droughts differ from othernatural hazards because they are slow-onsetphenomena, their occurrence and effects coverwide spatial areas, and their impacts are largelyenvironmental and human but non-structural.Droughts exert environmental, economic andsocial impacts that retard sustainable developmentin Africa.240