Flooding and heavy rainfall leave over 60 dead in Sudan #Flooding #Rain #Sudan #Africa
Flash floods have ravaged swaths of Sudan for weeks, leaving at least 60 people dead and destroying thousands of homes since late July, authorities and the U.N. humanitarian agency said Sunday.
The flooding also injured two dozen people, and has destroyed or damaged more than 30,000 houses nationwide, the Interior Ministry said.
More than 185,000 people in all but one of Sudan’s 18 provinces have been affected by the heavy rainfall and flooding, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The floods also damaged at least 14 schools, and some 1,600 water sources have been contaminated or are now non-functional, the report said.
Footage circulated online showed floodwaters cutting off roads and sweeping away houses and people’s belongings in different parts of the northeastern African country.
More than 1,200 livestock were lost and several hectares of crops were affected in the middle of the agricultural season, the U.N. added.
The Bout Dam had collapsed in late July after heavy rains and flooding in the southeastern Blue Nile province, releasing 5 million cubic meters of water (170 million cubic feet) and flooding at least 13 neighborhoods in the town of Bout, the U.N. said.
“The collapse of the dam will likely have serious long-term consequences for over 100,000 people, including (internally displaced persons) and refugees, who rely on it as their primary source of water,” he statement said.
Between July and August last year, flooding killed a total of 78 people in 16 of Sudan’s 18 provinces, according to the U.N.
Courtesy of wtop.com
Drought warning as dam levels decline in Cape Town, South Africa #Drought #Dam #CapeTown #SouthAfrica
CAPE Town’s dam levels have declined by 0.6%, according to readings from earlier this month.
This was recorded over the week from May 4-10 and resulted in 54.3% of total dam level capacity.
Water consumption for the period increased to 676 million litres per day.
Consumption was at 662 million litres per day, in the previous week, the City said.
Two years ago the City of Cape Town experienced the Day Zero water crisis.
Mayco member for water and waste Xanthea Limberg said although the bulk of the region’s rainfall traditionally falls between May and June, rainfall in 2020 to date was lower than the long-term average between January and April.
Water consumption is well below the long-term average, so low rainfall was not a significant cause for concern, she said.
“The possibility that the drought may not be over does warrant a reminder that we need to remain aware of water restrictions.
“Reacting quickly and effectively to changes in water restrictions is the most important intervention during drought periods,” said Limberg.
She told Weekend Argus that Cape Town pulled off a world record-breaking drought response, in its reduction in water consumption and many of these changes have been permanent.
“Through efforts by residents to reduce water consumption, a range of interventions by the City administration (including intensive pressure management, restructuring of water tariffs and water augmentation projects), we pulled through the worst of it without ever having to turn off taps and implement the Day Zero scenario,” she said.
Residents reduced consumption by almost 60% in world record-breaking time, resulting in the city being formally acknowledged by the International Water Association, said Limberg.
The city was recognised as the global “Water Saving Capital” by the International Water Association in 2018.
There was a decline in water consumption when looking back over the previous 1-2 months.
Water consumption normally goes down in winter and up in summer, so a drop in consumption over April/May is to be expected, added Limberg.
Jo Barnes, an epidemiologist and senior lecturer at the Stellenbosch University’s faculty of health sciences, said water use would vary depending on many factors.
“Weather plays a role (unexpectedly hot weather tends to cause higher water use). It is a lockdown week, so very few industries were in full operation so much less water would have been used.”
There was also 13mm of rain recorded which reduced consumption towards the end of last week.
Jacqueline Goldin, the Unesco chairperson for groundwater at UWC, said climate change has not mobilised the world in a way that the coronavirus has, but it should have.
“We should have a solidarity fund, a climate change command officer, policing and coming together as a globe to reduce our carbon footprint, save water and save our planet,” said Goldin.
Courtesy of iol.co.za
Thousands Evacuate After Dam Fails Causing Major Flooding in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan #Flooding #Dam #Uzbekistan #Kazakhstan
Twitter Photo: @nikmccaren
Over 70,000 people have evacuated their homes in border areas of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan after a reservoir dam failed.
The Syr Darya river, which runs near the border between the two countries, overflowed after the Sardoba Reservoir Dam on the Uzbek side broke in the early hours of 01 May, 2020. The government said the dam failed after heavy rain and strong winds.
About 70,000 people from 22 villages in Syrdarya region, Uzbekistan were evacuated. The government said those displaced were moved to safe districts and provided with shelter and food. Over 50 people were injured and taken to hospital but no fatalities were reported. President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited affected areas on 01 May.
On the Kazakhstan side of the border, around 5,400 people were evacuated from villages in Maktaaral district, Turkestan province.
As of 01 May, the Uzbek government said it had managed to reduce the flow of water and divert it to the Abay Canal in Oqoltin district and from there to Arnasay Lake of Jizzakh region.
Just a few days ago a severe storm caused major damage in Bukhara in Uzbekistan, leaving 1 person dead and over 5,000 buildings damaged.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
#MonoRiver #Flooding Affects 50,000 in #Togo and #Benin
Flooding in Maritime Region, Togo, late October 2019. Photo: Photo: United Nations Resident Coordinator in Togo
Heavy rain in Togo and Benin during October caused the Mono river to overflow from around 23 October, 2019.
Levels of the Mono river at Athiémé in Benin jumped from 7.8 metres on 19 October 2019 to 8.5 metres on 23 October. Satellite images show around 4,000 hectares of land are under water in areas around either side of the border between the 2 countries.
In Togo areas of Maritime Region, in particular Lacs prefecture, are worst hit. Around 2,000 households (8,000 people) are thought to be affected in the region.
In Benin, flooding has affected the districts of Athiémé, Grand-Popo and Lokossa in Mond department. In Athiémé, flooding has affected 31,482 people from 9,258 households. Roads and public buildings have been flooded. Four health centres in the area are inaccessible after flood water blocked roads.
Sixteen villages in Grand-Popo are flooded, affecting 994 households. In Lokossa around 2,500 households in the communities of Lokossa and Ouèdèmè-Adja are affected.
Agence Bénin Presse (ABP), official press agency of the government of Benin, reported that the flooding was exacerbated by dam releases at Nangbéto and Anié in the Plateaux Region of Togo. Several small tributaries of the Mono have also flooded.
Courtesy of floodlist.com
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