The extent of the tragedy in Haiti reveals itself further as time goes by. The Haitian Interior Minister stated last week that the verified death toll to date is more than 217,000 people whilst estimates of total lives lost to date are appearing to begin to settle around 230,000. In addition to this it is estimated that some 300,000 people were injured in the quake, that more than 500,000 are currently homeless and that some 5 million are currently dependent on aid to survive.
The scale of the impact of this tragedy is hard to assimilate – so much death and destruction in such a confined area. The life lost so far is now getting on a par with the 2004 tsunami where it is estimated that some 250,000 (USGS NOAA figures: 225,000 – 275,000) died. The Sumatra quake and subsequent tsunami was much larger however, and its geographic range of impact vast. The race is on now in Haiti to put in place shelter and services before the rains come. As rain, in make-shift camps with poor hygiene, brings with it the spectre of waterborne diseases.
So why did the Haiti quake kill so many people? The answer lies in the harsh combination of risk and vulnerability. Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, lies on what is called the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault system which is in the boundary region separating the Caribbean and North America tectonic plates. This means that the area is at risk of seismic activity and whilst this particular fault system has not produced a large quake in recent decades it does have a history. In 1751 a major earthquake to the east of Port-au-Prince destroyed the city. In 1770 the city was again destroyed by a quake this time centred to the west of the capital. In 1860, further west again, there was a major earthquake which caused a tsunami. So the risk is clearly there.
Vulnerability is more complicated but centres on the terrain, the relative poverty of the people and of course the every high population density. The combination of these factors means that damage caused by a quake particularly in terms of loss of life is likely to be high.
Finally, to compound these factors the quake had a large magnitude, its epicentre was close to the city and critically it occurred very shallow in the earth’s crust. So at 21.53 hrs on January 12th a magnitude 7 quake with epicentre just 25 km west south west of Port-au-Prince at a paltry depth of 13km hit the city and enormous death and destruction ensued.
In the coming months when final figures are applied to the Haiti quake it will fall within the top 10 deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Looking at the current top 10 it is notable that 6 of the 10 worst events have occurred in China a country, of course, with a very high population density. Of those disasters 4 were floods and two were earthquakes. The yellow river in China accounts for 3 of the top 5 worst natural disasters in history: in 1887 it flooded and killed 900,000-2,000,000 people, the 1931 floods are estimated to have taken between 850,000 – 4,000,000 lives and just 7 years after that it flooded again to take a further 500,000 – 900,000 lives! In the latter half of the 20th century the Yellow river has been tamed by major flood prevention works until today in fact there is insufficient water in the basin to meet the growing human, agricultural and industrial demand.
In the last decade earthquakes have been responsible for nearly 60% of fatalities caused by natural disasters globally.
Now when we consider the Seychelles scenario we face different issues. As noted in previous posts Seychelles is blessed to lie far from the edge of its tectonic plate and outside of the cyclone belt, whilst floods on our tiny islands drain rapidly into the sea.
The central archipelago is not immune from cyclones of course, they are just rare. A 2007 disaster management capacity assessment for Seychelles cited a worst case scenario of a major cyclone hitting the east coast of Mahe. The east coast harbours our major population centre, something like 90% of our food storage facilities, the port and international airport, as well as the bulk of power generation, fuel storage and health care capacity. Food for thought!
The vulnerability of our east coast was further underlined by the 2004 tsunami. Much of the contingency planning measures addressed by the current World Bank project will be looking in depth at the vulnerability of that area and how to reduce and mitigate this. Over the coming months this blog will cover these issues in more depth... do keep checking back for updates!
For those interested to investigate further the risk and vulnerability issues that affect fatalities there was a very interesting article on the BBC website recently that compared these factors in 3 recent earthquakes, that of Haiti and the 2008 China and 2009 Italy quakes. To read the article, follow the link below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8510900.stm
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Flash floods and Mudslides claim Lives on Island of Madeira
A new disaster has hit the international news headlines this weekend namely the flash floods on the autonomous Portuguese island of Madeira. News coverage on three networks (BBC, CNN, France 24) over the weekend revealed stunning images of walls of water powering down flood drains and high streets alike. It also recorded a gradually increasing death toll: first 28, then 32 and now over 40 with numbers expected to rise as bodies are believed to have been washed out to sea and buried under mudslides. Two naval vessels have left port in Portugal to bring aid to the island.
It is easy to forget the enormous power of water but watching footage of cars getting washed away and bridges collapsing from the force of the torrent soon sets that straight and was reminiscent of scenes from the 2004 tsunami. Photographs on the BBC website give further evidence of the impact with cars piled up, buildings collapsed and streets blocked with debris left by the waters.
Now clearly this disaster pales into insignificance compared to the tragic destruction in Haiti and will doubtless rapidly fade from the headlines. For Seychelles however the Madeira disaster is very relevant as it offers many parallels to our circumstances. Madeira, like Seychelles, lies several hundred kilometres off the coast of Africa (and nearly a thousand kilometres from its nearest source of help Portugal) and tourism forms a major component of its economy. Flash floods and mudslides are also a key disaster risk in Seychelles and something we have seen quite a lot of in recent years though nothing thankfully, on the scale of that which has occurred in Madeira. Nevertheless, we stand to learn quite a lot from the disaster and subsequent response and recovery, that can be extrapolated to our own circumstances here and guide us in our contingency planning.
To that end, and international media permitting, we will follow the disaster and its aftermath as long as we can. Please do check back for updates.
It is easy to forget the enormous power of water but watching footage of cars getting washed away and bridges collapsing from the force of the torrent soon sets that straight and was reminiscent of scenes from the 2004 tsunami. Photographs on the BBC website give further evidence of the impact with cars piled up, buildings collapsed and streets blocked with debris left by the waters.
Now clearly this disaster pales into insignificance compared to the tragic destruction in Haiti and will doubtless rapidly fade from the headlines. For Seychelles however the Madeira disaster is very relevant as it offers many parallels to our circumstances. Madeira, like Seychelles, lies several hundred kilometres off the coast of Africa (and nearly a thousand kilometres from its nearest source of help Portugal) and tourism forms a major component of its economy. Flash floods and mudslides are also a key disaster risk in Seychelles and something we have seen quite a lot of in recent years though nothing thankfully, on the scale of that which has occurred in Madeira. Nevertheless, we stand to learn quite a lot from the disaster and subsequent response and recovery, that can be extrapolated to our own circumstances here and guide us in our contingency planning.
To that end, and international media permitting, we will follow the disaster and its aftermath as long as we can. Please do check back for updates.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Wetlands, Water Catchment Management and Disaster Mitigation
Wetlands have been all over the national news of late, as the International Convention on Wetlands, or Ramsar Convention, chose to hold its first ever world wetlands week in Seychelles. Inland water ecosystems in Seychelles are of great biodiversity significance. Small freshwater ecosystems isolated by a 1,000 miles of salt water and 70 million years of evolution are certain to contain high levels of endemic fauna much of which has yet to be properly studied.
The Ramsar definition of wetlands is much broader than inland water ecosystems however and includes lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, wet grasslands, peat lands, estuaries and areas of marine water the depth of which is 6 metres or less at low tide. In the Seychelles context this includes fringing coral reefs and their lagoons and so has extensive environmental and socio-economic relevance in the local context. It was therefore interesting to note the repeated references in media interviews to wetlands’ importance in mitigating the impacts of climate change and indeed in mitigating disaster events.
Healthy fringing coral reefs can provide very significant protection to the coastland, they surround, from wave action and even attenuate some of the force of a tidal wave. Mangroves in particular are considered to be very important for coastal protection with various examples coming out of the 2004 Tsunami where coastal areas with mangroves fared much better than adjacent areas where the mangroves had been removed.
In Seychelles one of the key considerations is management of the water cycle from catchment areas through streams and rivers to coastal wetlands and their drainage into the sea. One of the features of changing weather patterns in Seychelles in recent years is that while the average amount of rain falling during the rainy season is remaining reasonably stable the nature of the rainfall is changing. Rain is tending to come in shorter and heavier bursts. This poses various problems for the main granitic islands which with their steep topography and very small area experience a rapid run-off of precipitation into the sea. Firstly, of course, it means that the provision of potable water is more problematic as brief but very heavy rain rapidly exceeds the capacity of the small river dams and runs into the sea before any large quantity can be pumped to the La Gogue reservoir.
Likewise this rapid flow of water can cause downstream problems through flooding of coastal plains. When Europeans first explored the granite islands they reported that much of the coastal plains consisted of wetlands which they considered to be ideal for rice production. As time passed much of this low-lying land was reclaimed by early settlers for development. Today this means that various portions of the developed coastal plains are prone to flooding. The capital Victoria is itself largely built on land reclaimed from the sea between 50 and 100 years ago – the former mudflats now host the capitals shopping centres, bus terminal etc... whilst the rivers and streams have been straightened and canalised. The vulnerability of such areas to flooding was emphasised by the heavy rains of 1998.
The first way agencies typically address such concerns is by “improving” drainage through the widening and deepening of drainage channels and marsh outlets. This attains the objective of increasing outflow and shortening and lessening the period and extent of flood events but can give rise to other problems.
Another approach though offering much more gradual results is the integrated management of entire catchment areas. The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) cites sound environmental management as a key factor in the reduction of the instances and impact of disasters. In the Seychelles context this means optimising vegetation cover in catchment areas and along water courses. In this case native vegetation is much better as natural ecosystems have greater structural diversity and integrity and can absorb and hold more water than habitats dominated by invasive species.
Catchment areas if managed properly can act as enormous sponges, capturing and holding vast amounts of water and allowing it to drain off much more slowly resulting in better water retention, slower flow rates and hence less downstream flooding.
Wetlands likewise can be used to mitigate flooding and reduce offshore siltation with its knock-on impacts upon reef health and lagoon fishery production by enhancing their capacity to hold and filter water.
One of the main aspects of the “Seychelles Disaster Preparedness and Response Project” is the mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into other sectoral plans. The environment sector in Seychelles is currently going through a very dynamic phase of project implementation courtesy of GEF-funded projects being rolled-out through the UNDP office in Seychelles. The Department of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM) is therefore seeking to work with these projects to integrate DRR. To further this end DRDM will soon be making presentations on its project to the national environmental steering committee and the steering committee of a new environmental management capacity building project. It will further more be targeting aspects of the GEF Biodiversity Mainstreaming project and the Sustainable Land Management project specifically with regard to enhanced management of the water cycle for disaster reduction as both those projects will be investigating aspects of watershed management.
Such an approach of inter-project and inter-sectoral cooperation offers considerable scope for the realisation of synergies and the enhanced utilisation of donor funds to attain the objectives of sound environmental management integrating the tenants of disaster risk reduction.
As these activities continue and the process of DRR integration progresses we will report further so please do check back periodically.
The Ramsar definition of wetlands is much broader than inland water ecosystems however and includes lakes, rivers, swamps, marshes, wet grasslands, peat lands, estuaries and areas of marine water the depth of which is 6 metres or less at low tide. In the Seychelles context this includes fringing coral reefs and their lagoons and so has extensive environmental and socio-economic relevance in the local context. It was therefore interesting to note the repeated references in media interviews to wetlands’ importance in mitigating the impacts of climate change and indeed in mitigating disaster events.
Healthy fringing coral reefs can provide very significant protection to the coastland, they surround, from wave action and even attenuate some of the force of a tidal wave. Mangroves in particular are considered to be very important for coastal protection with various examples coming out of the 2004 Tsunami where coastal areas with mangroves fared much better than adjacent areas where the mangroves had been removed.
In Seychelles one of the key considerations is management of the water cycle from catchment areas through streams and rivers to coastal wetlands and their drainage into the sea. One of the features of changing weather patterns in Seychelles in recent years is that while the average amount of rain falling during the rainy season is remaining reasonably stable the nature of the rainfall is changing. Rain is tending to come in shorter and heavier bursts. This poses various problems for the main granitic islands which with their steep topography and very small area experience a rapid run-off of precipitation into the sea. Firstly, of course, it means that the provision of potable water is more problematic as brief but very heavy rain rapidly exceeds the capacity of the small river dams and runs into the sea before any large quantity can be pumped to the La Gogue reservoir.
Likewise this rapid flow of water can cause downstream problems through flooding of coastal plains. When Europeans first explored the granite islands they reported that much of the coastal plains consisted of wetlands which they considered to be ideal for rice production. As time passed much of this low-lying land was reclaimed by early settlers for development. Today this means that various portions of the developed coastal plains are prone to flooding. The capital Victoria is itself largely built on land reclaimed from the sea between 50 and 100 years ago – the former mudflats now host the capitals shopping centres, bus terminal etc... whilst the rivers and streams have been straightened and canalised. The vulnerability of such areas to flooding was emphasised by the heavy rains of 1998.
The first way agencies typically address such concerns is by “improving” drainage through the widening and deepening of drainage channels and marsh outlets. This attains the objective of increasing outflow and shortening and lessening the period and extent of flood events but can give rise to other problems.
Another approach though offering much more gradual results is the integrated management of entire catchment areas. The International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) cites sound environmental management as a key factor in the reduction of the instances and impact of disasters. In the Seychelles context this means optimising vegetation cover in catchment areas and along water courses. In this case native vegetation is much better as natural ecosystems have greater structural diversity and integrity and can absorb and hold more water than habitats dominated by invasive species.
Catchment areas if managed properly can act as enormous sponges, capturing and holding vast amounts of water and allowing it to drain off much more slowly resulting in better water retention, slower flow rates and hence less downstream flooding.
Wetlands likewise can be used to mitigate flooding and reduce offshore siltation with its knock-on impacts upon reef health and lagoon fishery production by enhancing their capacity to hold and filter water.
One of the main aspects of the “Seychelles Disaster Preparedness and Response Project” is the mainstreaming of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into other sectoral plans. The environment sector in Seychelles is currently going through a very dynamic phase of project implementation courtesy of GEF-funded projects being rolled-out through the UNDP office in Seychelles. The Department of Risk and Disaster Management (DRDM) is therefore seeking to work with these projects to integrate DRR. To further this end DRDM will soon be making presentations on its project to the national environmental steering committee and the steering committee of a new environmental management capacity building project. It will further more be targeting aspects of the GEF Biodiversity Mainstreaming project and the Sustainable Land Management project specifically with regard to enhanced management of the water cycle for disaster reduction as both those projects will be investigating aspects of watershed management.
Such an approach of inter-project and inter-sectoral cooperation offers considerable scope for the realisation of synergies and the enhanced utilisation of donor funds to attain the objectives of sound environmental management integrating the tenants of disaster risk reduction.
As these activities continue and the process of DRR integration progresses we will report further so please do check back periodically.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Disaster Education and Awareness
Public education and awareness is a key aspect of the “Seychelles Disaster and Preparedness and Response Project”. Firstly it is important that general public awareness of disaster risk reduction as an issue is raised. Secondly it is important that the existence of DRDM, its location, role and ongoing work is better understood so that people and other agencies know better how to react and interact in disaster events. Thirdly, we hope in time and as the project rolls out that we can provide information that will empower individuals to take precautionary measures in the context of their own day-to-day lives that can improve their resilience, and that of their families, to disaster occurrences. Finally, it is important as a means of providing transparency on the project for current and potential future partner agencies so that they can see how work is progressing, the motivation behind it and the course that is charted. In this way it is hoped that cooperation can be enhanced and facilitated.
This blog was set up for the above reasons and the project management unit also periodically produces articles for the national press with the same objectives in mind. One such article was published in the nation newspaper on Monday February the 8th.
To read the article, simply click on the photo below to enlarge the text. Unfortunately the graphic did not reproduce very well in print so the original digital version is also reproduced in the sidebar.
This blog was set up for the above reasons and the project management unit also periodically produces articles for the national press with the same objectives in mind. One such article was published in the nation newspaper on Monday February the 8th.
To read the article, simply click on the photo below to enlarge the text. Unfortunately the graphic did not reproduce very well in print so the original digital version is also reproduced in the sidebar.
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