Dear Editor,
Floods impact on both individuals and communities, and have social, economic, and environmental consequences. The consequences of floods, both negative and positive, vary greatly depending on the location, duration, depth and speed, as well as the extent of flooding, and the vulnerability, value of the natural and constructed environments they affect. The persistent flooding in Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) and several other areas around Region 10 has forced the local authorities to intensify the mobilisation of support for flood-affected residents in the area.
With water levels now rising more than eight-nine feet in some areas, several houses in the community of Kwakwani have been completely covered, leaving residents counting extensive loses.
The flood can easily be compared to a similar event that occurred in 50s/60s, which forced early bauxite operation and management in the community to move to higher ground, while similar flooding in the past was responsibility for bauxite operation relocation from where it was to where it is presently located in Kwakwani.
As most people are well aware, the immediate impacts of flooding may include loss of human life, damage to property, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and deterioration of health conditions owing to water-borne diseases. As communication links and infrastructure such as power plants, roads and bridges are damaged and disrupted, some economic activities may come to a standstill, people are forced to leave their homes and normal life is disrupted.
Similarly, disruption to industry can lead to loss of livelihoods. Damage to infrastructure also causes long-term impacts, such as disruptions to supplies of clean water, wastewater treatment, electricity, transport, communication, education and healthcare. Loss of livelihoods, reduction in purchasing power and loss of land value in the floodplains can leave communities economically vulnerable.
Floods can also traumatise victims and their families for long periods of time. The loss of a home has deep impacts, especially on children. Displacement from one’s home, loss of property and disruption to business and social affairs can cause continuing stress. For some people the psychological impacts can be long lasting. Flooding in key agricultural production areas can lead to widespread damage to crops and fencing and loss of livestock. Crop losses through rain damage, waterlogged soils, and delays in harvesting are further intensified by transport problems due to flooded roads and damaged infrastructure.
The flow-on effects of reduced agricultural production can often impact well outside the production area as food prices increase due to shortages in supply. On the other hand, flood events can result in long-term benefits to agricultural production by recharging water resource storages, especially in drier, inland areas, and by rejuvenating soil fertility by silt deposition.
Damage to public infrastructure affects a far greater proportion of the population than those whose homes or businesses are directly inundated by the flood. In particular, flood damage to roads, rail networks and key transport hubs, such as shipping ports, can have significant impacts on regional and national economies. Flooding of urban areas can result in significant damage to private property, including homes and businesses. Losses occur due to damage to both the structure and contents of buildings
Floods have significant consequence for the environment. In many natural systems, floods play an important role in maintaining key ecosystem functions and biodiversity. They link the river with the land surrounding it, recharge groundwater systems, fill wetlands, increase the connectivity between aquatic habitats, and move both sediment and nutrients around the landscape, and into the marine environment. For many species, floods trigger breeding events, migration, and dispersal. These natural systems are resilient to the effects of all but the largest floods. The environmental benefits of flooding can also help the economy through things such as increased fish production, recharge of groundwater resources, and maintenance of recreational environments.
Areas that have been highly modified by human activity tend to suffer more deleterious effects from flooding. Floods tend to further degrade already degraded systems. Removal of vegetation in and around rivers, increased channel size, dams, levee bank and catchment clearing all work to degrade the hill-slopes, rivers and floodplains, and increase the erosion and transfer of both sediment and nutrients.
While cycling of sediments and nutrients is essential to a healthy system, too much sediment and nutrient entering a waterway has negative impacts on downstream water quality. Other negative effects include loss of habitat, dispersal of weed species, the release of pollutants, lower fish production, loss of wetlands function, and loss of recreational areas.
Many of our coastal resources, including fish and other forms of marine production, are dependent on the nutrients supplied from the land during floods. The negative effects of floodwaters on coastal marine environments are mainly due to the introduction of excess sediment and nutrients, and pollutants such as chemicals, heavy metals and debris. These can degrade aquatic habitats, lower water quality, reduce coastal production, and contaminate coastal food resources. Most recently His Excellency President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, joined by Minister Edghill journeyed to the severely-affected community of Kwakwani. Prime Minister, Hon Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips along with several Cabinet Ministers recently visited Region 10 and assessed the damage done by floodwaters and helped to deliver hundreds of food and sanitation hampers to residents of Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10). The PPP/C Government has recognised the flood as a disaster since several communities were affected across the country. In Kwakwani it is really bad.
Our Government’s short-term intention is to provide relief for the affected areas and communities, Government’s priority at the moment is to save lives and livelihood; to provide shelter, food and medical supplies, and to ensure that the water recedes quickly off of the land.
His Excellency Dr Irfaan Ali promised to work along with the residents to find solutions to their current plight.
Sincerely,
David Adams
