Coronavirus patients wait to be evacuated on Tuesday ahead of Cyclone Nisarga in Mumbai. Ashish Vaishnav / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images
At least 100,000 people were evacuated along India's west coast as the country's financial capital of Mumbai awaits its first cyclone in more than 70 years.
<p>Cyclone Nisarga comes as Mumbai struggles to contain the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic. The city is the worst hit in India, with more than 40,000 confirmed cases and almost 1,400 deaths, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-52900967" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>.</p><p>"Everything we didn't want to happen right now is happening," one city official said on TV, as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/03/cyclone-nisarga-india-evacuates-100000-as-mumbai-braces-for-historic-storm" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p>
<p>The storm made landfall around 1 p.m. local time with wind speeds of up to 68 miles per hour, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said, as <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/asia/cyclone-nisarga-mumbai-india-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. Before making landfall, it strengthened over the Arabian Sea into to a Severe Cyclonic Storm in the West Pacific, the equivalent of slightly less than a Category 1 Atlantic <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes" target="_self">hurricane</a>. The biggest threat from the storm is likely to be <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a>. It is projected to rain heavily and could produce a storm surge of up to 3.3 to 6.6 feet that could swamp parts of Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts.</p><p>The storm made landfall in Alibag town, south of Mumbai. Alibag is "Mumbai's answer to Martha's Vineyard," a beach-side town where many of Mumbai's wealthy have vacation homes, The Guardian pointed out.</p><p>The storm is the first cyclone to hit Mumbai since 1948, when a storm killed 12 and injured more than 100.</p>
<p>However, scientists say the historically calm Arabian Sea is spawning more cyclones because of changes wrought by the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/news-analysis/story/as-cyclone-nisarga-eyes-mumbai-blame-is-on-climate-change-1684690-2020-06-02" target="_blank">India Today reported</a>.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/" target="_blank">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> (IPCC) found that the Arabian Sea's surface temperature was rising. Tropical cyclones tend to form over waters 30 to 33 degrees Celsius, and that was around the surface temperature of the Arabian Sea when Nisarga consolidated.</p><p>IMD also noted that the sea spawned more storms than normal in 2019.</p><p>"During 2019, 8 cyclonic storms formed over the Indian seas. Arabian Sea contributed 5 out of these 8 cyclones against the normal of 1 per year, which equals the previous record of 1902 for the highest frequency of cyclones over the Arabian Sea. This year also witnessed development of more intense cyclones over the Arabian Sea," IMD <a href="https://mausam.imd.gov.in/backend/assets/press_release_pdf/Statement_on_Climate_of_India_during_2019.pdf" target="_blank">wrote</a>.</p>
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<p>These changes are now likely to have real consequences for Mumbai and the surrounding region. BBC correspondent Janhavee Moole said it had been raining in the city since Tuesday.</p><p>"I can see the trees shaking violently," Moole said. "All beaches in the city are closed to the public and a police patrol van is making announcements, asking people to stay indoors. All safety precautions possible are being taken, but I do feel worried because the city is also in the grip of a pandemic."</p>
<p>Coronavirus patients were among those evacuated ahead of the storm. Around 150 were moved from a newly-built field hospital to a place with a concrete roof that could better withstand high wind speeds, The Guardian reported.</p><p>In addition to Mumbai, the storm also threatens people living in shacks or shanties near the coast of the state of Maharashtra, where Mumbai is located. More than 21,000 villagers were evacuated in the state's Palghar district.</p><p>The entire state is also the hardest hit in India by the coronavirus pandemic, CNN reported, with more than 72,300 cases and more than 2,400 deaths.</p><p>The storm also threatens the state of Gujarat, the Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. In Gujarat, more than 50,000 people living along the coast have been evacuated.</p><p>"In wake of the coronavirus outbreak all standard operating procedures are being followed at the temporary shelters which have been sanitised and instructions have been issued on following safe distancing," Arpit Sagar, an official in Valsad, Gujarat said, according to The Guardian.</p>Cyclone Nisarga strikes about two weeks after <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/cyclone-amphan-india-bangladesh-2646063894.html" target="_self">Cyclone Amphan</a> walloped part of India's east coast, as well as neighboring Bangladesh, killing more than 100, BBC News reported. Cyclone Amphan also intensified over warm ocean surface waters.
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A man observes the damages caused to his neighborhood from Tropical Storm Amanda on May 31, 2020 in San Salvador, El Salvador. Guillermo Martínez / APHOTOGRAFIA / Getty Images
At least 14 people were killed when Tropical Storm Amanda walloped El Salvador Sunday, Interior Minister Mario Duran said.
<p>Four people are missing, according to Noticias El Salvador, and around 200 homes were damaged by falling trees, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a> and mudslides, <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/deadly-tropical-storm-amanda-hits-el-salvador-guatemala-doc-1sm7hb5" target="_blank">AFP reported</a>.</p><p>"We lost everything, we've been left with nowhere to live," San Salvador resident Isidro Gomez, whose home was destroyed when a river overflowed its banks, told AFP.</p>
<iframe width="100%" height="150" scrolling="no" class="rm-shortcode twitter-embed-1267252232036253698" id="twitter-embed-1267252232036253698" lazy-loadable="true" src="/res/community/twitter_embed/?iframe_id=twitter-embed-1267252232036253698&created_ts=1590971451.0&screen_name=NotiblogSV&text=%23%C3%9ALTIMAHORA+%7C+El+Ministro+de+Gobernaci%C3%B3n+%40marioduran+informa+que+asciende+a+14+los+fallecidos+a+causa+de+la+Torment%E2%80%A6+https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FbHXoL0p0Ab&id=1267252232036253698&name=Noticias+El+Salvador" frameborder="0" data-rm-shortcode-id="fe922b1aa97cd20dc72bb695657386cc"></iframe>
<p>San Salvador, the nation's capital, saw half of the nation's total fatalities, its Mayor Ernesto Muyshondt said. He said the storm had forced 4,200 people into government shelters in the midst of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> pandemic.</p><p>"We are experiencing an unprecedented situation: one top-level emergency on top of another serious one," he told AFP, referring to the pandemic.</p><p>The government of El Salvador has <a href="https://covid19.gob.sv/" target="_blank">reported</a> a total of 2,582 coronavirus cases. Forty-six people have died, and 1,063 have recovered.</p><p>Amanda strengthened into a tropical storm before making landfall Sunday, making it the first named storm of the East Pacific 2020 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes" target="_self">hurricane</a> season, <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/amanda-makes-landfall-threatens-major-flooding-in-central-america/749982" target="_blank">AccuWeather reported</a>. It later weakened into a tropical depression and then a tropical rainstorm, but forecasters say its heavy rainfall still poses a major risk to Central America early this week.</p>
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<p>Because of its heavy rainfall, it was forecast to be a 1 on the <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/accuweathers-new-realimpact-scale-for-hurricanes-will-revolutionize-damage-predictions-for-greater-public-safety/329657" target="_blank">AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes</a>.</p><p>"Heavy rainfall will be the greatest threat over Central America, particularly in the higher terrain or Guatemala and El Salvador where rainfall totals of 18-24 inches are possible," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Randy Adkins said.</p>
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<p>In El Salvador, that rainfall has already turned deadly in the form of floods and landslides. One person drowned in a flooding river, while another was crushed by a collapsing wall, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-amanda/tropical-storm-amanda-kills-at-least-seven-people-in-el-salvador-idUSKBN2370MF" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>. An eight-year-old boy was killed when his house collapsed.</p><p>"We've seen people asking for help, asking for the government. We haven't deployed everywhere, the situation is overwhelming," Duran said Sunday, as Reuters reported.</p><p>The storm is estimated to have caused $200 million in damage to El Salvador, President Nayib Bukele said, according to AFP. He declared a 15-day state of emergency to recover from the storm.</p><p>Amanda weakened as it passed on to Guatemala, where it caused flooding and at least five landslides that blocked roads. However, no one had to be evacuated.</p>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> is making hurricanes <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-crisis-hurricanes-wetter-2639175731.html" target="_self">wetter</a> and <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-extreme-weather-2639274656.html" target="_self">extreme precipitation events </a>more likely. A storm does not have to be a hurricane to cause damage. In 2019, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/houston-imelda-flooding-2640449818.html" target="_self">Tropical Storm Imelda</a> swamped Houston with a 1-in-1,000-year flood event just two years after Hurricane Harvey did the same.</p>
<p><em>Correction: </em><em>This piece has been updated to clarify that all the deaths reported by Reuters took place in El Salvador.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Cyclone Slams India, Bangladesh, Leaving 84 Dead and Millions Displaced During Pandemic
22 May
Climate
People make their way through uprooted trees and damaged power lines blocking a road in Taltala a day after Cyclone Amphan hit the city on May 21, 2020 in Kolkata, India. Samir Jana / Hindustan Times via Getty Images
At least 84 people were killed when Cyclone Amphan walloped India and Bangladesh Wednesday, bringing "war-like" destruction to the city of Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal, The Guardian reported.
<p>The response to the storm, which made <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146749/amphan-batters-india-bangladesh" target="_blank">landfall</a> as the equivalent of a Category 2 <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/hurricanes" target="_self">hurricane</a>, was complicated by the spread of the new <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a>. While around three million people in India and Bangladesh evacuated to safety ahead of the storm, some villagers remained in place out of fear of contracting the virus in a crowded shelter, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/world/asia/cyclone-amphan-india-bangladesh.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>.</p><p>"At one end there is this small Covid virus that is terrifying people," West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said in a video conference reported by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/21/world/asia/cyclone-amphan-india-bangladesh.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. "This was another virus from the sky."</p>
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<p>Causes of death included felled trees, downed electrical wires and collapsed buildings. In Bangladesh, Khanat Begum and her 13-year-old daughter were killed when a gust of wind uprooted their neighbor's tree and dropped it on top of their house.</p><p>For the survivors, the storm also brought devastation. Hundreds of thousands of people saw their homes destroyed, according to The Guardian. This could enable the spread of the new coronavirus as people are forced to remain in shelters.</p><p>In Kolkata, home to around 14 million people, power was lost and many streets were <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooded</a>, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-52749935" target="_blank">BBC News reported</a>. Banerjee said that two districts had been completely destroyed.</p><p>"We have to rebuild those districts from scratch," she said, as The Guardian reported: "Area after area has been ruined. I have experienced a war-like situation today."</p>
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<p>At least 15 people in the city were killed, The New York Times reported. All told, at least 72 people died in West Bengal and 12 in Bangladesh, according to BBC News.</p><p>Bangladesh evacuated more people ahead of the storm than India, at 2.4 million compared with around 660,000, The New York Times reported. But the country was still hit hard.</p><p>"Even by Bangladeshi standards, this was a powerful storm," <a href="https://www.savethechildren.net/" target="_blank">Save the Children</a> in Bangladesh Humanitarian Director Mostak Hussain said in a <a href="https://www.savethechildren.net/news/save-children-assesses-damage-india-and-bangladesh-wake-cyclone-amphan" target="_blank">statement</a>. "We've received reports that more than 5 million people were disconnected from the electricity grid for their own safety as winds of 150kph smashed into power lines, destroying homes and uprooting trees. In some of the worst-affected areas there was a tidal surge of nearly three metres, causing dams to overflow and submerging low-lying villages and crops."</p>
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<p>For a period Monday night, Cyclone Amphan became the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal, with winds of up to 165 miles per hour, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/19/asia/super-cyclone-amphan-india-banglash-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. It weakened before making landfall, bringing sustained winds of 105 mile-per-hour winds and a five meter (approximately 16 foot) storm surge, <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146749/amphan-batters-india-bangladesh" target="_blank">according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration</a>. But it was still the worst storm to strike Kolkata in 100 years, The Guardian reported.</p>
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<p>It struck the same week as a <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tropical-storm-intensity-climate-crisis-2646033123.html" target="_self">study confirmed</a> that the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> is making tropical storms more intense, increasing the chance that a cyclone develops into a Category 3 storm or higher by eight percent per decade since the late 1970s. Cyclone Amphan originally intensified after passing over water temperatures as warm as 88 degrees Fahrenheit, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/world/asia/cyclone-amphan-india-bangladesh-map.html" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>. </p><p>"Sea surface temperatures are much warmer than normal in the Bay of Bengal right now," Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/weather/live-news/live-updates-cyclone-amphan-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank">told CNN</a>.</p>
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Floodwaters flowing from the Tittabawassee River into the lower part of downtown Midland on May 20, 2020 in Midland, Michigan. Thousands of residents have been ordered to evacuate after two dams in Sanford and Edenville collapsed. Gregory Shamus / Getty Images
Around 10,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in central Michigan after heavy rain prompted what the National Weather Service called "catastrophic failures" at two dams.
<p>The Edenville and Sanford dams collapsed Tuesday night, threatening to drench the town of Midland, Michigan under nine feet of water, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-flood-michigan/michigan-governor-declares-emergency-after-dams-collapse-idUSKBN22W071" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>. The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a> comes as Michigan suffers one of the nation's worst <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a> outbreaks, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/20/us/michigan-flooding-dams-midland.html" target="_blank">The New York Times pointed out</a>. It currently has 53,009 confirmed cases, according to <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins University data</a> as of Thursday morning, the seventh highest total in the U.S.</p><p>"It's hard to believe that we're in the middle of a 100-year crisis, a global pandemic, and we're also dealing with a flooding event that looks to be the worst in 500 years," Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, as The New York Times reported.</p>
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<p>Much of the town of Midland, Michigan, which has a population of 42,000, was inundated with record flooding Wednesday, <a href="https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/aging-dams-changing-climate-a-dangerous-mix" target="_blank">Weather Underground reported</a>. The Tittabawassee River gauge at Midland measured a water level about one foot above the previous record of 33.89 feet as of 2 p.m. local time. The river was expected to crest in the afternoon and evening, the National Weather Service said.</p>
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<p>No deaths or injuries have been reported, according to The New York Times, but the event puts further pressure on residents and businesses already reeling from the impact of the coronavirus.</p><p>"It's disastrous," evacuee Sue Baranski from neighboring Sanford told The New York Times. "Between the devastation from the flooding and the virus and the small-business owners trying to make their way through that, it's just too much."</p>
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<p>The flooding is the result of two environmental crises and may be the author of a third.</p><p>First, there's the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a>. Warming temperatures are expected to increase precipitation in northern midlatitudes and lead to more intense periods of rainfall in many places, including the U.S., as Weather Underground pointed out. In Michigan, this process is already underway. 2019 was its wettest year on record, and Midland is 1.35 feet of rainfall away from its wettest May on record. Its rainfall total for Monday and Tuesday was its third highest on record.<br></p><p>Then there's the state of one of the dams that failed. Federal regulators had warned for more than 20 years that the spillways at the Edenville Dam were not up to handling a major flood, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/20/politics/ferc-edenville-dam-midland-michigan-flooding/index.html" target="_blank">CNN reported</a>. However, they waited more than 13 years to crack down on the private company that operated the dam when it failed to comply, finally revoking its license in 2018. Oversight of the dam also passed from the federal government to the state of Michigan that year. Whitmer has promised an investigation of dam operator Boyce Hydro.</p>
<p>"This incredible damage requires that we hold people responsible," Whitmer said, as <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/michigan-governor-warns-floods-peak_n_5ec569b6c5b6ea08c805eaeb?ri18n=true" target="_blank">HuffPost reported</a>. "This was a known problem for a while and that's why it's important that we do our due diligence and take action."</p><p>The flood also has the potential to cause lasting environmental damage as Dow Chemical confirmed Wednesday that flood waters were "commingling with on-site containment ponds," <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/05/20/859333402/catastrophic-dam-failures-in-michigan-force-thousands-to-evacuate" target="_blank">NPR reported</a>. The flood also reached a Superfund site caused by a Dow release of dioxins, according to CNN.</p>
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<p>"[T]this has the potential to be a major environmental disaster. Climate Power communications director Meghan Schneider tweeted.</p>
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Flooding is the most common and most expensive natural disaster in the U.S., according to FEMA. And the risk of catastrophic floods in the U.S. is only rising as climate change intensifies downpours in areas like the Northeast and Midwest. In the West, flooding risks rise following major wildfires that denude hills of trees and undergrowth.
<p>In addition to threatening personal safety, floods can cause significant structural damage to residences. According to the National Flood Insurance Program, just one inch of water can cause <a href="https://www.floodsmart.gov./flood-insurance-cost/calculator" target="_blank">up to $25,000 worth of damage</a> to an average home.</p><p>But homeowners can mitigate the damages of flooding in a few key ways, from advance preparation to damage control after the fact.</p><p>Read on for some actions useful for defending your home from floods.</p>
DO: Take Steps Now to Protect Your Home From Future Flooding.
<ul><li>Assess your level of risk. Search for your address in <a href="https://msc.fema.gov/portal/search" target="_blank">FEMA's map</a> to see how high the risk for flooding is in your area. Don't be lulled into a false sense of security simply because you live in an area with low or moderate risk. Even in these lower-risk areas, your home is still five times more likely to experience a flood than a fire during the next 30 years.<br></li><li>Seriously consider getting flood insurance. Most homeowner insurance does not cover damages from floods. Waiting until the last minute to get flood insurance doesn't work: It typically takes <a href="https://www.fema.gov/news-release/2018/05/01/dont-wait-buy-flood-insurance-today" target="_blank">about 30 days</a> to take effect. (There are some exceptions to this waiting period.)<br></li><li>Document and store important files and keepsakes in a safe location. Keep photographs of especially valuable property. Keep a digital copy of important documents and photos in a safe off-site location.</li></ul><ul><li>Compile an emergency kit, using the <a href="https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/PDF_s/Preparedness___Disaster_Recovery/Disaster_Preparedness/Flood/Flood.pdf" target="_blank">Red Cross Flood Safety Checklist</a> as reference.<br></li><li>Coordinate with all family members and residents on your property on an evacuation route and emergency contacts plan.<br></li><li>If you live in a floodplain, work with a professional to take further actions to safeguard your home like:<br>– <a href="https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1404150306122-7fa382623802512d66e4835281547fd0/FEMA_P312_Chap_9.pdf" target="_blank">Elevating or anchoring critical appliances</a> like your furnace and water heater.<br>– <a href="https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1404150139578-ee3a6bc655a236dceba367adcfb8c982/FEMA_P312_Chap_8.pdf" target="_blank">Building barriers</a> like a levee or flood wall.<br>– Waterproofing the basement, installing a flood alarm, maintaining a battery-operated sump pump, and installing <a href="https://www.flash.org/peril_inside.php?id=52" target="_blank">flap or check valves</a> to temporarily block drain pipes.</li></ul>
DO: Take Swift Action When a Flood Watch or Warning Is Announced.
<ul><li>Listen to <a href="https://www.weather.gov/nwr&ln_desc=NOAA+Weather+Radio/" target="_blank">NOAA Weather Radio</a> for important updates.<br></li><li>Confirm that your emergency kit and evacuation plan are up to date and accessible.<br></li><li>Clear gutters and use sandbags if needed to divert water away from the foundation of your home.<br></li><li>Move valuables to a higher or otherwise safer room.<br></li><li>Prioritize personal safety, and don't walk, swim, or drive through floodwater.</li></ul>DO: Address Flood Damage After the Fact.
<ul><li>Avoid contact with floodwater, which may contain sewage or other contaminants or materials such as timber or solid wastes.<br></li><li>Call your insurance provider as soon as possible. If you're renting, call your landlord instead.<br></li><li>When the weather dries, open windows to improve ventilation and help your home air out.<br></li><li>Immediately discard anything that may pose a health risk, including food, clothes, rugs, and other belongings. (For insurance purposes, you'll need to take pictures of some items first, including serial numbers on major appliances.)</li></ul><ul><li>Check in and around the home for <a href="https://www.redcross.org/get-help/disaster-relief-and-recovery-services/home-structural-elements.html" target="_blank">structural damage</a>. Look for loose power lines and foundation cracks. Sniff for gas. Use extreme caution if you notice sagging ceilings or floors, and/or damaged stairs.<br></li><li>Make whatever temporary repairs you can before insurance repairs can kick in. For example, you may need patch holes or brace walls.<br></li><li>Address mold safely by cleaning up with personal protective equipment, including an appropriate face mask, rubber gloves, and rubber boots. EPA has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/mold/mold-cleanup-your-home">more details</a> on how and why these precautions are so important.</li></ul><p><em>* For more resources, visit FEMA's "<a href="https://www.fema.gov/media-library-data/1409002852888-3c5d1f64f12df02aa801901cc7c311ca/how_to_prepare_flood_033014_508.pdf" target="_blank">How to Prepare for a Flood</a>."</em></p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/2020/04/how-to-protect-your-home-from-flood-damage/" target="_blank">Yale Climate Connections</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Nature Offers Solutions to Water Woes and Flood Risks - EcoWatch ›
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A building damaged by Cyclone Harold in Vanuatu on April 7, 2020. It has since moved on to Fiji. PHILIPPE CARILLO / AFP via Getty Images
After flattening buildings and cutting communications on the Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu Monday and Tuesday, Cyclone Harold moved on to batter Fiji Wednesday.
<p>The storm is also expected to reach the island nation of Tonga within days, in a reminder of how vulnerable Pacific nations are to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/extreme-weather" target="_self">extreme weather</a> events <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/is-climate-change-to-blame-for-more-intense-hurricanes-and-typhoons-1882175406.html" target="_self">supercharged</a> by the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> and made more dangerous by <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise" target="_self">sea level rise</a>.</p><p>"It is unfair that countries on the frontlines of the crisis, like those in the Pacific, are constantly having to bear the brunt of the economic impacts of extreme weather events, that are made worse by carbon pollution in places like Australia," <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org.au/" target="_blank">Greenpeace Australia Pacific</a> Head of Pacific Joseph Moeono-Kolio said in a <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org.au/blog/pacific-braces-for-the-impacts-of-climate-fuelled-disaster/" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p>
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<p>In Fiji, the storm struck the largest and most populous island of Viti Levu, home to its capital of Suva. It flattened buildings and caused <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/08/cyclone-harold-batters-fiji-on-path-of-destruction-through-pacific" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p><p>"The worst of TC Harold will strike Fiji through this afternoon … Flying debris and floodwaters can be deadly. All Fijians should stay indoors unless directed to evacuate," Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama warned early Wednesday.</p><p>Injuries were reported in Suva, according to <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-fiji-cyclone/cyclone-harold-flattens-homes-brings-injuries-in-fiji-idUKKBN21Q0HW" target="_blank">Reuters</a>, but the storm also cut communication lines.</p><p>"We've seen reports of injuries," Vasiti Soko, the director of the National Disaster Management Office, told Reuters by telephone. "As to the number, as well as the intensity, of the injuries, that's yet to be ascertained."</p>
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<p>There is discrepancy in the reports of how intense Harold was when it reached Fiji. Reuters reports it was still a Category 5 storm, while The Guardian said it had decreased to a Category 4.</p><p>In either case, the storm's arrival was complicated by the need to stem the spread of the new <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/coronavirus" target="_self">coronavirus</a>.</p><p>Fiji is in lockdown and currently has 15 confirmed cases and no deaths, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/world/australia/cyclone-harold-vanuatu.html?campaign_id=51&emc=edit_MBE_p_20200408&instance_id=17460&nl=morning-briefing&regi_id=88631294&section=whatElse&segment_id=24256&te=1&user_id=d8eb7cee9d3c5ab39515239b6ec54d19" target="_blank">The New York Times reported</a>.</p><p>However, the government said on Twitter it had taken measures to prepare for a storm striking during the outbreak.</p><p>"Given this virus struck Fiji in cyclone season, we knew from the start we had to weatherproof our Covid-19 containment efforts to the very real possibility of a severe storm striking," the government wrote.</p>
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<p>Bainimarama said those measures included virus-proofing shelters.<br></p><p>"Our evacuation centres are safe, they are sanitised and monitored to ensure they do not surpass capacity," he said in a social media post reported by Reuters. "Those under quarantine due to the threat of coronavirus will not mix with others."</p><p>There have been no reports of fatalities in the storm, but 10 homes in Suva were destroyed.</p><p>Meanwhile, the extent of the damage in Vanuatu is still uncertain, as communications are still down to the hardest-hit islands of Espiritu Santo, Malo and Pentecost, according to The Guardian. It is expected their restoration will bring bad news today.</p><p>It is known that northern Vanuatu suffered its worst direct hit from a topical cyclone on record, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/04/07/tropical-cyclone-harold-rakes-fiji-after-slamming-vanuatu-category-5-strength/" target="_blank">The Washington Post reported</a>.</p><p>Next in the crosshairs is Tonga, where a supermoon and high tide warning for Thursday and Friday could exacerbate the damage, The Guardian reported. The storm is expected to strike the country in 48 hours.</p>
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Locals board up their shops in Vanuatu's capital of Port Vila on April 6, 2020 ahead of Tropical Cyclone Harold. PHILIPPE CARILLO / AFP via Getty Images
The most powerful extreme weather event of 2020 lashed the Pacific nation of Vanuatu Monday as it tries to protect itself from the new coronavirus.
<p>Cyclone Harold made landfall as a Category 5 storm on the island nation's north and west after strengthening off the coast on Sunday, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/06/communications-down-after-category-5-cyclone-harold-hits-vanuatu" target="_blank">The Guardian reported</a>.</p><p>"For those in Vanuatu it doesn't get much worse than this," <a href="https://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/it-doesnt-get-much-worse-than-this-category-5-cyclone-harold-aiming-for-vanuatu-today-10-maps" target="_blank">WeatherWatch.co.nz head forecaster Philip Duncan said</a>.</p>
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<p>The storm moved slowly over very warm ocean waters as it approached Vanuatu, Duncan said. The <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change/" target="_self">climate crisis</a> is expected to make <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/is-climate-change-to-blame-for-more-intense-hurricanes-and-typhoons-1882175406.html" target="_self">tropical cyclones stronger and more intense</a> as they are fueled by warmer waters. It also makes them more devastating to islands like Vanuatu already battling <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/sea-level-rise" target="_self">sea level rise</a>.</p><p>"As the Pacific battles to contain the spread of Covid-19, Tropical Cyclone Harold is a reminder that climate change represents yet another existential threat to nations like Vanuatu, that is not of their making," <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org.au/" target="_blank">Greenpeace</a> Australia Pacific head of Pacific Joseph Moeono-Kolio said in a <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org.au/news/75510/" target="_blank">statement</a>.</p><p>Harold made landfall with winds of up to 133 miles per hour around 1 p.m. local time in Sanma province, located on the country's largest island and home to its second-most populated city, Luganville, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-pacific-vanuatu/cyclone-pounds-vanuatu-levelling-buildings-amid-virus-shutdown-idUSKBN21O0HL" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p>While there are no reports of injuries, images shared on social media show buildings flattened by the storm.</p>
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<p>"Communications to Santo and Malekula [Vanuatu's two largest islands] are cut now, so we don't know what's happening," Eric Durpaire, the chief of UNICEF Pacific's Vanuatu's field office, told The Guardian. "The latest information we had was that the roof of the municipality building of Santo has collapsed and there is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">flooding</a>."</p><p>The Vanuatu meteorology department recorded wind speeds of 135 miles per hour in Sanma and gusts of up to 145 miles per hour, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52179853" target="_blank">according to BBC News</a>.</p><p>The last time that Vanuatu weathered a Category 5 storm was when <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/climate-change-to-blame-for-devastating-cyclone-says-president-of-vanu-1882022397.html" target="_self">Cyclone Pam struck in 2015</a>. It needed massive amounts of international aid to recover, but help this time will be complicated by the global coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>"Restrictions to international borders and travelers won't be lifted after the cyclone. Humanitarian workers who wanted to come and assist, won't be able to, or they will have to do 14 days quarantine," Durpaire told The Guardian.</p><p>The coronavirus complicated cyclone preparation as well. Vanuatu has no confirmed cases of COVID-19, but is trying to keep it that way, as it is afraid its health system would be unable to handle an outbreak.</p>
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<p>To prevent the arrival and spread of the virus, Vanuatu has closed its borders, instituted a curfew and banned gatherings of five or more, though some of these measures were relaxed to allow people to gather in emergency shelters ahead of the storm.</p><p>Cyclone Harold has already proved deadly. On Friday, when it was just a Category 2 storm, it swept 27 people off a ferry in the Solomon Islands. Police said Sunday they had recovered the bodies of three women and two men, while 22 others remain missing.</p>
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A bushfire burns outside the Perth Cricket Stadium in Perth, Australia on Dec. 13, 2019. PETER PARKS / AFP via Getty Images
By Albert Van Dijk, Luigi Renzullo, Marta Yebra and Shoshana Rapley
2019 was the year Australians confronted the fact that a healthy environment is more than just a pretty waterfall in a national park; a nice extra we can do without. We do not survive without air to breathe, water to drink, soil to grow food and weather we can cope with.
<p>Every year, we collate a vast number of measurements on the state of our environment: weather, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/oceans">oceans</a>, fire, water, soils, vegetation, population pressure and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/biodiversity">biodiversity</a>. The data is collected in many different ways: by satellites, field stations, surveys and so on.</p><p>We process this data into several indicators of environmental health at both national and regional levels.</p><p>The <a href="http://wenfo.org/ausenv/#/2018/Exposed_soil/Grid/Actual/States_and%20Territories/bar,options/-28.96/135.00/4/none/Roadmap/Opaque" target="_blank">report for 2019</a>, released Sunday, makes for grim reading. It reveals the worst environmental conditions in many decades, perhaps centuries, and confirms the devastating damage <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change">global warming</a> and mismanagement are wreaking on our natural resources.</p><p>Immediate action is needed to put Australia's environment on a course to recovery.</p>
<h2>Environment Scores in the Red</h2><p>From the long list of environmental indicators we report on, we use seven to calculate an Environmental Condition Score (ECS) for each region, as well as nationally.</p><p>These seven indicators – high temperatures, river flows, wetlands, soil health, vegetation condition, growth conditions and tree cover – are chosen because they allow a comparison against previous years. In Australia's dry environment, they tend to move up and down together, which gives the score more robustness. See the <a href="http://wenfo.org/ausenv/#/2019/Environmental_Condition%20Score/Region/Actual/Local_Government%20Areas/bar,options/-28.96/135.00/4/none/Roadmap/Opaque" target="_blank">interactive graphic</a> below to find the score for your region.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjkwMzk5MC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MzQwNzk1M30.IkyDdLm1_Fpnn50Ok-QL_vLrxX0EzZBRD3cqVJ5Cq-s/img.png?width=980" id="5c996" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c24126057fbfa67587df61475150932e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Environmental condition scores by local government area, and values for each of the seven indicators. See more data on www.ausenv.online.
<p>Nationally, Australia's environmental condition score fell by 2.3 points in 2019, to a very low 0.8 out of ten. This is the lowest score since at least 2000 – the start of the period for which we have detailed data.</p><p>Condition scores declined in every state and territory. The worst conditions were seen in the Northern Territory (0.2 points), New South Wales (0.3 points) and Western Australia (0.4 points), with the latter also recording the greatest decline from the previous year (-5.7 points).</p><p>What is most striking is that almost the entire nation suffered terrible environmental conditions in 2019. In each case, the changes can be traced back to dry, hot conditions. Only parts of Queensland escaped the <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought">drought</a>.</p><p>Comparing local government areas, the worst conditions occurred in Armidale and Gwydir in northern NSW. In contrast, Winton and Townsville in Queensland escaped the overall poor conditions, thanks to the beneficial impact of high rainfall early in the year – although those same events also caused <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding">floods</a> killing around 600,000 livestock.</p>
<h2>Extreme Drought and Extreme Heat</h2><p>So what exactly happened in Australia in 2019 to cause such widespread environmental damage? There were several causes.</p><p>Across most of Australia, the environment was already reeling <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-2018-environmental-scorecard-a-dreadful-year-that-demands-action-114760" target="_blank">from poor conditions in 2018</a>. Also, cool temperatures in the Indian Ocean delayed the onset of the monsoon in northern Australia and reduced the flow of moisture to the rest of the continent, creating hot and dry conditions. Average rainfall was a mere 229 mm across the continent, the lowest in more than 119 years and probably longer than that.</p><p>The heat was also extraordinary. The average number of days above 35°C across the country was 36% more than the average for the 19 years prior.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjkwMzc0NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzk5NDA0N30.qLZg3ddY7bSTd8MDSlbS2nllM69vAICE8VrWlta-xyQ/img.png?width=980" id="9f461" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cd196a1c269da7d42d028b580cb8ff47" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Values for 15 environmental indicators in 2015, expressed as the change from average 2000-2018 conditions. Similar to national economic indicators, they provide a summary but also hide regional variations, complex interactions and long-term context. ANU Centre for Water and Landscape Dynamics
<p>In eastern Australia, arid and hot conditions pushed farmers and ecosystems deeper into drought. In many regions, dryness and declining protection from wind erosion created the worst soil conditions in at least 20 years. Consequences included several dust storms and widespread dieback of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/forests">forests</a>, especially in NSW.</p><p>The severe drought also affected inland water systems, especially the Darling River and its tributaries. Town water supply reservoirs ran out of water, the rivers stopped flowing, and the heat turned the remaining pools into death traps for fish.</p><p>Other rivers in northwest Australia, southeast Queensland and northeast NSW also saw their worst flows in 20 years.</p>
<h3>Unprecedented Fires</h3><p>Of course, 2019 will be remembered as the year of unprecedented <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires">bushfires</a>. Nationally, the total area burnt was not unusual, not even when the fires of early 2020 are included. But this is only because fire activity was much below average in northern Australia, where ongoing dry conditions left little vegetation to burn.</p><p>The extent of forest fires last year was unprecedented, however. As <a href="https://www.bnhcrc.com.au/hazardnotes/63" target="_blank">predicted well in advance</a>, the tinder-dry forests in eastern Australia provided the fuel for a dramatic fire season that started in September. Between then and the first month of 2020, vast areas of forest in New South Wales, eastern Victoria, Kangaroo Island and the Australian Capital Territory went up in flames.</p><p>The fires destroyed more than 3,000 homes and directly killed 33 people. Indirectly, the most hazardous air quality in living memory created major but poorly known health impacts. The fires also damaged the reliability of <a href="https://theconversation.com/bushfires-threaten-drinking-water-safety-the-consequences-could-last-for-decades-129353" target="_blank">drinking water supplies</a>.</p><p>The ecological damage was also profound. Fires raged through ecosystems poorly adapted to fire, from rainforests in tropical Queensland to alpine vegetation in Tasmania and the Snowy Mountains of NSW. It remains to be seen whether they can recover. Across NSW, 35% of rainforests were turned to cinders.</p><p>About <a href="http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/bushfire-recovery/research-and-resources" target="_blank">191 species</a> of animals and plants saw more than one-third of their living area burnt, among them 52 species that were already threatened. Thankfully, the last remaining stands of the prehistoric Wollemi pine and the rare Nightcap Oak were saved.</p><p>Even before the fires, 40 plant and animal species were added to the threatened list in 2019, bringing the total to 1890. Following the fires, more species are likely to be added in 2020.</p>
<h3>We're Not Doomed Yet</h3><p>Last year was neither an outlier nor the "new normal" – it will get worse.</p><p>Greenhouse gas concentrations continued to increase rapidly in 2019, causing the temperature of the atmosphere and oceans to soar. Australia's population also continued to grow quickly and with it, greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution, and our demand for land to build, mine and farm on.</p><p>Whether we want to hear it or not, last year represented another step towards an ever-more dismal future, unless we take serious action.</p><p>The current coronavirus pandemic shows that as individuals, and collectively, we can take dramatic action once we acknowledge the urgency of a threat. By comparison, addressing environmental decline will cost less, whereas the long-term costs of not acting will be far greater.</p><p>There is much we can do. In the short term, we can help our natural ecosystems recover from the drought and fires. Government agencies and land owners can cull and manage invasive species in fire-affected areas – from weeds, to foxes, cats and feral horses – and stop damaging logging in fire-affected areas.</p><p>Individuals can do their bit. We can donate money or time to <a href="https://www.ecolsoc.org.au/news/2020/01/esa-bushfire-response" target="_blank">organizations committed to helping ecosystems recover</a>. <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/environment-recovery-project-australian-bushfires-2019-2020" target="_blank">Record what you see on bushwalks</a> to help environmental managers monitor and assist ecological recovery.</p><p>But the damage of climate change is not limited to natural environments. We must get serious about curbing greenhouse emissions. Humanity has the tools, technology and ingenuity to do it and Australia, one of the countries worst affected by climate change, should lead the world.</p><p>Beyond that, individuals can also make a contribution: recycle and reuse rather than buy new, choose low-emission and renewable energy technology and reduce waste – it can save money even now. Let governments and politicians hear your voice. Try to convince friends and family that things need to change.</p><p>In the long term, we must find a more balanced relationship with the natural world, understanding that our own survival will depend on it.</p><p><em>The full report and webinar are available <a href="http://www.ausenv.online/" target="_blank">here</a>.</em></p>
<p>
<em>Albert Van Dijk is a professor of water and landscape dynamics at the Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University.</em></p><p><em>Luigi Renzullo is a senior research fellow at Australian National University.<br/></em></p><p><em>Marta Yebra is a senior lecturer at Australian National University.<br/></em></p><p><em>Shoshana Rapley is a research assistant at Australian National University.</em></p><p>
<em>Disclosure statements: The Australia's Environment report is fully self-funded by ANU. Albert Van Dijk receives or has previously received funding from several government-funded agencies, grant schemes and programs.
</em></p><p><em>Luigi Renzullo receives receives or has previously received funding from several government-funded agencies, grant schemes and programs.
</em></p><p><em>Marta Yebra receives or has previously received funding from several government-funded agencies, grant schemes and programs.
</em></p><p><em>
Shoshana Rapley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond her academic appointment.</em>
</p><p>
<em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-major-scorecard-gives-the-health-of-australias-environment-less-than-1-out-of-10-133444" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.</em>
</p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133444/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>From Your Site Articles
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Women carrying fresh water pots walk on cracked land at a village near the Sundarban in Khulna, Bangladesh on Feb. 12, 2020. Rehman Asad / Barcroft Media via Getty Images
By Tharanga Gunawardena
Extreme climate events are increasingly threatening countries and livelihoods. Devastating natural disasters and unpredictable weather have made communities more vulnerable and impoverished, especially women. According to the United Nations, 80% of people displaced by climate change are women. But what makes them more susceptible to the effects of climate catastrophe?
<p>According to the World Bank, people in low-income communities suffer the most from these events, due to poverty, lack of resources and of awareness. Sudden climate catastrophes such as <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding" target="_self">floods</a>, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/wildfires" target="_self">wildfires</a> and <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought" target="_self">droughts</a> displace people and affect their income.</p><p>Within these communities, cultural barriers, gender norms and lack of education leave women even further behind men. They are left to take care of families, work in farming for low wages, with little knowledge of survival skills (in 2004, for example, more women in Thailand died of the <a href="https://www.womenforwater.org/uploads/7/7/5/1/77516286/water__gender_p_brief_digital_version.pdf" target="_blank">tsunami</a> because they stayed back looking for their children and because culturally, they are not taught skills such as swimming, climbing trees, etc.).</p>
<p>Lack of education makes women more dependent on their families and communities, less employable, with little opportunity to move beyond where they are born. Therefore, when sudden climate disasters strike, they are more vulnerable. The responsibility of looking after children further jeopardizes them. Furthermore, climate emergencies are often followed by <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/329484145_Health_impacts_of_climate_change_in_South_Asia" target="_blank">health risks in South Asian countries</a>, such as the spread of diseases like malaria, dengue, etc. It is the mothers who are hardest affected by these tragedies, often being unable to provide sufficient healthcare for their children.</p>
<p>At the same time, climate disasters affect agriculture in poorer areas, which directly impacts women. In <a href="https://www.oxfamindia.org/women-empowerment-india-farmers" target="_blank">India</a>, 80% of all economically active women are in the agriculture sector, comprising 33% of the total agriculture labor force and 48% of self-employed farmers. Many women in Africa walk miles in search of water; severe droughts worsened by the climate crisis mean that they have to travel further, risking their health and safety, and their children's. In <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43294221" target="_blank">Central Africa</a>, where up to 90% of Lake Chad has disappeared, nomadic indigenous groups are particularly at risk.</p>
<p>Men's stories are no less distressing. Unreliable rain patterns force them to work for longer hours, search for jobs beyond their communities, and lose income due to crop failures. However, this makes women work twice as hard to support their husbands to earn a living while looking after children. In developing countries, women are often given no education or independence and lack employment opportunities. As a result, they are under-represented in society. <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SG.GEN.PARL.ZS" target="_blank">Globally</a>, the proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments is only 24% as of 2019. The UN Climate Change Conference COP24 in 2018 had only 38% representation of women, with only 1% increase from the previous year. These numbers demonstrate the lack of participation of women in key policy- and decision-making, limiting their ability to advocate for climate solutions. Two-fifths of countries worldwide limit women's <a href="https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/32639/9781464815324.pdf" target="_blank">property rights</a>; in 19 countries, women still do not have equal ownership rights to immovable property. Disregarding half of the world's population and their needs will not bring sustainable, inclusive or holistic climate-mitigation actions.</p>
<h3>Resilience Through Education</h3><p>Educating women about climate change and its impact will be pivotal to making them climate-resilient. In <a href="https://undp-adaptation.exposure.co/fighting-extreme-weather" target="_blank">Zambia</a>, 78% of small-scale farmers are women. Severe droughts and erratic weather patterns have cost the country more than $13.8 billion in crop failures. Lack of education and exposure make it difficult for women in Zambia to progress beyond traditional beliefs to understanding the reasons behind crop failure. To remedy this, they are being introduced to improved weather forecasting tools, knowledge and consultation on climate change, to prepare them better for the next farming seasons.</p>
<p>In Latin America, the World Food Programme is helping women in indigenous communities between Ecuador and Colombia adapt <a href="https://insight.wfp.org/latin-america-and-the-caribbean-a-laboratory-for-climate-action-6b1d05985546" target="_blank">climate-smart farming</a> by combining scientific knowledge with traditional local practices to promote climate-resilient activities, such as cocoa cultivation, to earn a living and increase food sufficiency within communities. In addition, climate-smart projects such as the <a href="https://unfccc.int/topics/gender/workstreams/the-enhanced-lima-work-programme-on-gender" target="_blank">Lima Work Programme on Gender</a> (LWPG) aim to advance equal participation of women, promote gender-responsive climate policy and mainstream gender in the UNFCCC process. </p><p>Involving women in key decision-making within communities and empowering them with skills improves their resilience and climate-adaptive action. In 2015, <a href="https://www.seacology.org/project/sri-lanka-mangrove-conservation-project/" target="_blank">Seacology</a>, in collaboration with a local NGO, conducted a mangrove conservation project in Sri Lanka, replanting 9,600 acres of mangrove forests that have been cut down. The project provided alternative job training and microloans to approximately 12,000 impoverished women in 1,500 small fishing communities, teaching them to be climate-smart and become ground-level leaders, fostering sustainable farming methods. In addition, <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/can-renewable-energy-give-climate-displaced-women-bangladesh-new-beginning" target="_blank">UNEP</a> surveyed 32 villages in six remote districts in Bangladesh and identified 11 occupations that could use solar energy, benefiting nearly 300 women directly. Access to clean energy helps women in impoverished communities work less in the fields and focus more on their families.</p><p>Including women in more decision-making positions, educating them with transversal skills and involving them in climate-resilient projects will not only empower women in disadvantaged communities, but promotes them as equal stakeholders in finding solutions to climate catastrophe.<br></p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/women-climate-crisis-vulnerability-empowerment/" target="_blank">World Economic Forum</a>.</em></p><div></div><div><span></span></div>From Your Site Articles
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Floodwater covers a street in Burlington, North Dakota on June 26, 2011. NOAA has forecast more flooding for the state this spring. Scott Olson / Getty Images
Another wet spring and floods are on the way, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Fortunately, the agency predicted Thursday that this year's flooding would not be nearly as bad as last year's, which inundated the Midwest and devastated crops.
<p>"Flooding continues to be a factor for many Americans this spring," with major to moderate flooding likely to occur in 23 states, said Mary C. Erickson, deputy director of the National Weather Service, in a call with reporters, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/climate/us-flood-season-forescast.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>. She added the bright spot that the flooding will be less severe and shorter than last year's.</p>
<p>This year's floods are expected to affect parts of the Midwest, the Rust Belt and the Southeast all the way down to the Gulf Coast. NOAA predicted that the most significant flood potential will occur in the northern Plains and the upper Midwest of North and South Dakota, as well as Minnesota, as <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/19/spring-flood-forecast-floods-may-affect-128-million-23-states/2874960001/" target="_blank">USA Today</a> reported. Parts of Iowa and Illinois may also experience heavy flooding, according to <a href="https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/2020-03-19-spring-outlook-flooding-temperatures-united-states-noaa" target="_blank">The Weather Channel</a>.</p><p>NOAA expects about 128 million people, or one-third of the U.S. population, to see some sort of flooding this spring, with 1.2 million expected to experience "major" flooding in the aforementioned states, according to Ed Clark, the director of NOAA's National Water Center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, as <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/19/spring-flood-forecast-floods-may-affect-128-million-23-states/2874960001/" target="_blank">USA Today</a> reported.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/2020-03-19-spring-outlook-flooding-temperatures-united-states-noaa" target="_blank">The Weather Channel</a>, several factors went into NOAA's prediction, including ongoing rainfall, highly saturated soils and the increased likelihood of above-average precipitation this spring.</p><p>One factor contributing to the threat of flooding is that soil in many central and eastern states is already oversaturated and rivers are running high. That means that heavy rainfall can trigger flooding, according to <a href="https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/2020-03-19-spring-outlook-flooding-temperatures-united-states-noaa" target="_blank">The Weather Channel</a>.</p><p>"Nearly every day, dangerous flooding occurs somewhere in the United States, and widespread flooding is in the forecast for many states in the months ahead," said Clark.</p><p>Clark added that heavy rains will likely lead to a larger than usual dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico this summer. Dead zones are caused by hypoxia, where an area does not have enough oxygen to sustain life, as <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/climate/us-flood-season-forescast.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported.</p>
<p>While farmers who were never able to plant their crops in 2019 because of flooding will not experience anything as drastic as last year, they should expect to see delays in planting, said Brad Rippey, the Department of Agriculture meteorologist, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/climate/us-flood-season-forescast.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</p><p>While a large swath of the lower 48 states should expect heavier than average rainfall, the same is true for Alaska. On the other hand, drought conditions are expected to continue and worsen in California, in parts of the Pacific Northwest, in the southern Rockies, and in parts of Southern Texas, according to NOAA, as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/climate/us-flood-season-forescast.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> reported.</p><p>Not a single part of the country is expected to see below average temperatures this spring in a year that is shaping up to be one of the hottest years on record.</p><p>"There is almost no part of the country that we are predicting to be below normal in any of the three months, which is unusual," said AccuWeather founder and CEO Joel N. Myers, as <a href="https://weather.com/safety/floods/news/2020-03-19-spring-outlook-flooding-temperatures-united-states-noaa" target="_blank">The Weather Channel</a> reported. "This may be a first."</p>
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A girl makes a water run with empty buckets on May 17, 2017 in New Delhi, India. Shams Qari / Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Ever more of the world's population is living with water insecurity and is unable to consistently access safe, clean drinking water.
<p><br/></p>
<p>A number of factors, including <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> and poor water management, are worsening water scarcity, which coupled with other social problems like rising inequality and ethnic tensions, are threatening conflict between states and within states.</p><p>Charles Iceland, director of global and national water initiatives at the <a href="https://www.waterpeacesecurity.org/map" target="_blank">World Resources Institute</a>, spoke to DW about disputes over the essential resource and how it can be avoided, as well as the new <a href="https://www.waterpeacesecurity.org/map" target="_blank">Water, Peace and Security (WPS)</a> tool that forecasts where water disputes are likely over the next 12 months, and how they might be avoided.<br></p>
<p><em>DW: What is a water conflict and what does it look like?</em></p><p>Charles Iceland: In many places throughout the world, there's just more and more demand for water with respect to what's available. Sometimes the conflicts are nonviolent — like in Australia or California where people go through the legal system or they work their issues out without violence. But in a lot of places, the problem is grave enough and the ability to resolve the problem is not well developed. So you can see the wrestling over these scarce resources develop in violent ways.</p>
<p><em>Where would you say are the regions and countries in which water, water scarcity, water quality are playing a role in conflict?</em></p><p>Populations are growing very quickly in sub-Saharan Africa — going up fourfold between 1960 and today. Resources have either stayed the same or you have a reduction in resources, because of climate change or because desertification is reducing arable land. So you have a lot of violent conflicts between these smallholder farmers and pastoralists wrestling over scarce land and water resources. We've seen over the past couple of years pastoralists massacring farming communities and retribution by farming communities.</p><p>We're also seeing a lot of violent conflict play out in the Middle East. So, for example, in Iraq, a lot of the demonstrations that led to the prime minister's resignation a few months ago. But part of the grievances entailed lack of services, which included lack of access to clean water and lack of access to electricity. They're getting sick. About a year and a half ago, 120,000 people in Basra had to be hospitalized because they were drinking contaminated water.</p><p>And it's [water scarcity] is also a problem in places like Iran, Afghanistan and India. So those are some of the hotspots.</p>
<p><em>So it could be an interstate conflict, but it could be intrastate as well between various stakeholders in society?</em></p><p>When you have violent conflict, it usually plays out at a subnational level. While you have international conflicts over water, those are rarely resolved through violence. So, for example, we have India and Pakistan wrestling over water in the Indus. We have Iraq and Turkey wrestling over water in the Tigris and Euphrates. We have Egypt and Ethiopia wrestling over water and in the Blue Nile Basin. The parties try as much as they can to resolve the issues in a nonviolent way through diplomacy.</p>
<p><em>Will we see a future of water wars and water as the new oil?</em></p><p>Both, like a lot of metaphors, are not really accurate. Wars are rarely fought over water as a single issue. Rather, we see the problem as a threat multiplier. So it's one issue in the background. If you have other issues leading to instability, maybe problems between ethnic groups or anything could trigger violence, the background of having water scarcity, has destabilized the society and made it less able to resolve problems amicably.</p>
<p><em>How much of a role does climate change play in water scarcity or water quality?</em></p><p>We have trouble attributing any particular <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drought">drought</a> or <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/flooding">flood</a> to climate change, but we are seeing very dramatic increases in the incidence and severity of drought in parts of sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. So we're having a general decline in rainfall in some of these areas. In some of these areas the amount of rainfall stays the same but you have very large intermittent drought and flood periods. That's what's been predicted by climate change experts.</p>
<p><em>What other factors can lead to water scarcity?</em></p><p>The management of water resources is a critical factor. So people, in theory might have enough water in some places, but they're mismanaging it. They're losing water. They are polluting the water. And then there are upstream, downstream issues. There are many instances where the upstream users are accessing water, but downstream users suffer because they're getting less water.</p>
<p><em>What exactly is the Water Peace and Security tool?</em></p><p>We're a consortium of nine organizations in the U.S. and Europe that are working together to both try to identify hotspots of water insecurity and then try to help local people and the global community do something about this to either avoid conflict or minimize the impacts of conflict. So we've developed a machine learning-based model that tries to predict where conflict might break out in the next 12 months. We're using a number of factors — political, economic, social, demographic — that might point at imminent conflict. And to that group of indicators, we add water and food insecurity indicators. We try to identify these hotspots, whether they are water-related conflicts and what are the drivers of the conflict.</p>
<p><em>How can you resolve a water conflict?</em></p><p>There are lots of examples on the subnational and international levels where either global or national entities have brought competing [water] users together.</p><p>A very good example of this was in 1960 — the World Bank brought the governments of India and Pakistan together to develop a treaty that divided up the water in the Indus River Basin. That treaty has come under pressure recently but it's still been able to keep India and Pakistan from having problems boil over — at least to date.</p><p><em>Jennifer Collins conducted the interview, which has been shortened and edited for clarity.</em></p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/tackling-the-growing-threat-of-water-conflict/a-52696755?maca=en-VAM_volltext_ecowatch-28485-html-copypaste" target="_blank">DW</a>.</em><br/></p>From Your Site Articles
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