NATURAL DISASTERS- Causes, Impact and Challenges to Angolan and Subsahara Africa Society

7/29/2019 NATURAL DISASTERS- Causes, Impact and Challenges to Angolan and Subsahara Africa Society

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Natural Disaster:

Causes, impact and challenge

to Angola and Subsahara Afric

society

A Pi

ELABORADO POR:

En


2/9

[email protected] WWW.AOPI.ORG 1

HERLANDER(MATA+LIMA(*

*"Doctor"of"Science"in"Engineering,"MSc"in"Environmental"Policy"and"Management,"Post9

Graduate"in"Hydraulics"and"Water"Resources"Engineering"and"Degree"in"Water"Resources."

Since"2002"dedicated"to"higher"education"and"research"university,"being"a"member"of"the"

editorial"board"of"scientiic"journals"including"most"importantly"(i)"Journal"of"Civil"

Engineering"and"Construction"Technology"and"(ii)"REM"9"Revista"Escola"de"Minas."E9mail:"

[email protected]"or"[email protected]

" A" major" concern" emerging"

from" climate" change" relates" to"

i n c re a s ed" f r e q ue n c y" a n d"

severity"of"natural"disasters

Natural"disasters"are"caused"by"

p h e n o m e n a" o f" o r i g i n"

hydrological," meteorological,"

climatological," geophysical" or"

biological

ISSUE 2! SEPTEMBER 2013

NATURAL(DISASTERS:(Causes,(impact(and(challenges(to(Angolan(and(Subsahara(Africa(

society

1.(The(Framework

A" major" concern" emerging" from" climate" change" relates" to" increased" frequenc

severity" of" natural"disasters," and" the" situation" of" the" poorest" and" developing" r

require" greater" urgency" with"regard" to" adaptation"measures" to" minimize" the"ne

consequences"in"environmental"and"socio9economic"systems.

Natural" disasters" are" caused" by" phenomena" of" origin" hydrological," meteorol

climatological," geophysical" or" biological" that" can" destroy" the" natural" and

environment" of"the"affected"regions"triggering"damage"and "human"casualties" to"a

that"exceeds"the"capacity"of"the"local"community"to"self9recover,"thus"requiring"the

foreign" aid." The"World" Bank" &" United"Nation"stress" in"their"joint" report," publish

2010"(https://www.gfdrr.org/nhud9home;" access:"June" 20,"2013),"that" disasters"e

the"cumulative"effects"of"decisions"(individual"and"collective")"previously"made"rela

land" use" planning" (i.e.," unregulated" expansion"of" urban" areas" to" risk" areas" as" s

Luanda"9"see"Figure"1),"construction"techniques,"installation"of"sanitation"facilities,"

investment"in"educational"programs,"combating"poverty,"social"integration,"among"

causes,"combined"with"the"occurrence"of" natural"events"of"high"intensity"(i.e." lan

and"lood,"storm," severe"drought),"triggering"a" sequence"of"negative"environment

socioeconomic"impacts."Such"impacts"have" a"high"degree"of" severity"with"signiic

property" damage" to" which" are" often" lost" livelihoods" and" lives" in" the" af

communities," as" well" as" infectious" diseases" due" to" the" deterioration" of" sa

conditions." On" infectious" diseases" is" noted" that" the" community" affected" by" infe

agents" are" exposed" during" the" early" stages" of" post9disaster," such" as" rescu

concentration"in"temporary"camps.


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C o m m u n i t y" a f f e c t e d" b y"

infectious" agents" are" exposed"

during"the" early" stages"of" post9

disaster," such" as" rescue" and"

concentration" in" temporary"

camps.

T h e re f o re ," d i sa s t er s" a r e"

r es pons ible " for" a " s tr ing" of"

negative" environmental" and"

socioeconomic" impacts" that"

c au se s" i mb al an ce s" i n" t he"

environmental," economic" and"

social"sustainability


(b) (c)

Figure 1 - Illustration of some critical situatio

(a) location of highlighting Angola Luanda, (

ithout sanitation facilities and adequate tran

ns concerning the occup

b) and (c) dense urban

port. Source of images:

tion of space in Lu

prawl, disorganize

oogle Maps.

Therefore," disasters" are" responsible" for" a" string" of" negative" environmenta

socioeconomic" impacts" that" causes" imbalances" in" the" environmental," econom

social" sustainability." Many" studies" have" shown" in" the" last" two" decades," cons

statements"and"predictions"of"increased"frequency"of"occurrence"and"intensity"of"n

disasters" (eg,"hurricane,"lood," drought"and "forest" ire"associated,"earthquake,"to

etc.)," especially" related" to" climatic" factors," as" well"as" the"relationship" between" n

disasters"and"macroeconomic"indicators"of"countries.

This"issue"is"particularly"important"in""the"report"presented"by"Intergovernmental"

on" Climate" Change" 9" IPCC," published" in" 2007" (http://www.ipcc.ch/;" access:" Ju

2013),"states"that"one"of"the"consequences"of"global"warming"is"increasing"the"freq

and"intensity"of"extreme"weather"events"(especially"in"tropical"regions)"which"com

with"geophysical"made"disasters"(i.e,"earthquake,"tsunami)"embody"a"strong"threat

developing"countries,"to"the"extent"that"have"low"resilience"to"disasters.

Natural" disasters," even" when" classiied" as" small" or" moderate," are" responsib

negative" environmental" and"socioeconomic"impacts,"particularly" in" developing"re

due" to"the" lack" of"activity" of"preventive"planning," lack"of" resources" for" the" creat

basic" infrastructure"and"low"resilience,"inherent"low"level "of"social"capital"(social"c

results" from" structural" features" of" social" organization" that" favour" the" format

networks," norms," value" systems," trusts" and" participatory" engagement" that" fac

coordination"and"cooperation"for"the"common"beneit)"that"contributes"to"the"exten

of"the"adverse"effects"on"the"environment"and"society."The"lack"of"action"from"autho

contributes" to" an" increased" spatial" dispersion" of" environmental" and" socio9eco

impacts"and"worsening"degradation"of"economic"activity"(agriculture,"trade,"touris

well"as"increased"social"vulnerability.


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Natural" disasters," even" when"

classiied"as"small"or" moderate,"

are" responsible" for" negative"

e n v i r o n m e n t a l" a n d"

socioeconomic"impacts

N a tu ra l" d is as te rs" a re " n o t"

limited" to" natural" causes," as"

both"the" causes" and"the"effects"

a re" r el at ed " t o" d em op hori c"

growth"


The"crucial"importance"of"social"capital"arises"from"the"fact"of"the"causes"that"contr

to" the" occurrence" of"natural" disasters" in"poor" or"developing" countries" are"linke

historical"development"which"has"always"prevailed"conditions"(economic,"social,"po

and"educational)"that"embody"unfavourable"factors"of"vulnerability"to"natural"disas

Natural"disasters"are"not"limited"to"natural"causes,"as"both"the"causes"and"the"effect

related" to" demophoric" growth" (population"growth"and "the" production9consumpt

the"technological"context)"socioeconomic"inherent" in"the"development" of"contemp

societies."Therefore,"among"the"factors" that"have"aggravated"the"disasters"highlig

absence" of" an" enabling" environment" for" social" inclusion," economic" developmen

appropriate" use" of" resources," the" development" of" infrastructure" (i.e." sanitatio

transportation)"and"ecological"and""environmental"protection.

The" description" presented" here" aims" to" exhort" urgent" need" to" design" develop

programs" and" implement" action" plans" for" disaster" prevention" through" a" sys

approach" that" integrates" environmental," social" and" economic" (including" techn

sustainability.

(2.(Natural(disasters:(concept,(classiication,(distribution(and(paradigms.

Natural"disasters" can"be "of" hydrological,"meteorological,"climatological,"geophysic

biological." However," this" study" Focuses" on" the" two" types" of" sources" disasters"

frequent" and"troubling"in"the"context" of"sub9Saharan"Africa,"Namely:"" (i)"hydrolog

case" of" loods" in" northern" Angola)" and" (ii)" climatological" (the" case" of" Droug

southern" Angola)." The" Latter" assumes" the" proportions" of" particular" concern" in

Saharan"Africa"(eg"drought"has"contributed"to"the"problem"of"hunger"due"in"particu

water"deicit" and"depletion" of" agricultural" land)" and"it" is"noteworthy" that" Ango

undergone"signiicant"changes"in"the"type"of"covered"plant"during"past"periods"of"c

change" globally" recognized," and"the" savannah" vegetation"became" dominant" in" th

2000"years"(www.clim9past.net/4/107/2008/,"access:"June"2,"2013).

The" current" climate" of"Angola" varies" permanently" from" wet" in"the" Congo"basin"

north"to"the"dry"in"the"south."


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Natural" disasters" can" be" of"

hydrological," meteorological,"

climatological," geophysical" and"

biological."

A n g o l a" h a s" u n d e r g o n e"

signiicant" changes" in" the" type"

of" covered" plant" during" past"

p er io ds" o f" c li ma te" c ha ng e"

globally" recognized," and" the"

savannah" vegetation" became"

dominant"in"the"last"2000"years


Figure"2 "illustrates"the"evolution"scenarios"for"climate"and"disaster"risk" for"the"w

of"sub9Saharan"African"countries.

(a) Forecast rainfall variation in Afri

1980-1999 and 2080-2099 (Source: IP

ca between

C, 2007)

b) Estimation of temperature change in

1980 to 1999 and from 2080 to 2099 (so20071)

frica

rce: I

(c) Risk of drought (source: World Bank). SPI

means a higher probability of high rainfall deficit

(d) Agglomerated urban and potential ris

natural disasters: in 2025 (source: modified U

Nations)

Figure 2 - Information on the susceptibility to natural disasters in Sub-Saharan Afr

The" plan"to" combat" the" impacts"of "natural"disasters" should"focus" on"the" four"

(4)" paradigms" of" disaster:" Hazard9Risk9Vulnerability9Resilience" whose"description" is"presented"in" Table"1 "showing"those"in "which," under" the"plans,"

which"have"be"made"an"effort"reduction"()"and"increase"().


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The" current" climate" of" Angola"

varies"permanently"from"wet"in"

the"Congo" basin"in"the"north"to"

the"dry"in"the"south.

It is urgently adopting adaptation

measures to reduce the exposure

of communities, especially the

poorest


Table"1"9"Description"of"the"paradigms"of"natural"disaster

Paradigms Description

Hazard

()

The probability of a potentially damaging natural phenomenon occurs in a particular pl

at a specified time.

Risk

()

Corresponds to the combination of the probability of occurrence of a natural event

severity (negative consequences) and is often expressed as the result of hazar

consequences for humans.

Vulnerability

()Is the set of conditions and processes resulting from physical, social, econom

environmental factors, which increases the susceptibility of a community (at risk) to the

of hazards. Vulnerability refers to the community's capacity to anticipate, cope, re

recover from the impacts of natural disasters and consists of a variety of factors that de

the degree of exposure of people and property to risk.Resilience

()

Resilience is defined as the ability of a community to withstand and recover from a

oth short and long term. However, the definition of GIBBS (2009, p. 324) (see

dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2008.08.001) seem more adjusted to reality in that reg

resilience is a simple attribute related to the level of disturbance that a system can

without losing their capacity and the degree that the system has to be reorganized,

resilience to be considered only as one of the factors that influence the 'adaptability' (a

capacity) system. Note: those

published i

interested in reading more about the paradigms of disaster can refer, for example, t

Territorium: .

3.(Environmental(and(socioeconomic(challenges(of(disaster

One"of"the"key"steps" to"deine"strategies" to"mitigate"natural"disasters"and"the"exte

of"their"impacts"is"to"identify" environmental"and"socioeconomic"factors" that"cont

to:

(i) Reducing vulnerability - is urgently adopting adaptation measures to redu

exposure of communities, especially the poorest (see Figure 2), the risk. I

context, it is imperative to identify hazards and then develop a plan for managi

risk, of course, should take into account the peculiarities of the region to the

that in Angola shows strong regional differences. Such asymmetries are mani

both in biophysical (i.e geomorphology, climate, water availability, etc..) A

terms of socio-demographic (i.e. family income, education, etc..);


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I t i s necessary to crea te

conditions, especially socio-

economic , to improve the degreeof per cei ved risk for the

communities, increase social

capacity organization around

common goals, as well as

facilitate the social inclusion of

vulnerable groups.

Na tu ra l" d is as te rs" a re " ver y"

correlated" with" coastal" areas"

with"potential"for"growth.


(i) Increased resilience - it is necessary to create conditions, especially socio-econ

(i.e. raise levels of education, access to information, health, employment, etc

improve the degree of perceived risk for the communities, increase social cap

organization around common goals, as well as facilitate the social inclusio

vulnerable groups. The improvement of the mentioned aspects lead to increcapital, which as we know, is key to creating a socio-economic structure

organization to reduce the vulnerability of communities north and south of An

and other African countries.

To"meet" the"challenges"posed"by"hydrological"disasters" it"is" vital" " to"strictly" wor

spatial"and"environmental"planning"as"a"condition"sine"qua"non"to"reconcile"the"nat

and"built"environments"through"land"use"and"biophysical"space"that"prevents"exces

sealing" soil,"population"exposure" to" risk," for" example,"lood"and" landslide" due" to

occupation" of" loodplains," coastal" looding," and" other" areas" of" high" susceptibilit

erosion"(see"Figure"3).

a) Floldings in Luanda (b) Erosion in the coastal zone (c) Residues scattered on

ground

Figure 3 - Examples of gaps

(source: Google Maps)

in planning and sanitation facilities in the city of Lua

It" is" necessary" to"give"due"importance"to" the"relationship"of"interdependence"exis

between" the" protection" and" conservation" of" biophysical" factors" (eg" soil," water,"

and" fauna)" and" socio9economic" development." In" this" regard," it" is" noteworthy"

natural" disasters" are" very" correlated" with" coastal" areas" that" currently" (and"

potential" for" future" growth)" correspond" to" a" factor" of" unquestionable" compet

advantage"for"summer"tourism"in"the"developing"countries"of"West"Africa".

Among"the"anthropogenic"factors"(ie"changes"in"the"environment"caused"by"man)

contribute"to"the"deterioration"of"natural"disasters"highlight"the"following:


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It" is" necessary" to" give " due"

importance" to" the" relationship"

of" interdependence" existing"

between" the" protection" and"

conservation" of" biophysical"

factors

Natural" disasters" can" not" be"classiied" as" situations" that"

come" exclusively" from" natural"

forces"as" a"consequences" of"the"

development"model"adopted"by"

the"authorities


(i) Road network - usually aggravate the impacts of flash floods and lands

due to poor drainage system and longitudinal. When the roads are destro

(ii) Construction dense bed in full and in coastal areas - increases peo

vulnerability to flooding and / or seasonal increase sea level making i

event, a situation of good planning and land use planning, would be only f

or progression of the sea, a disaster with high damage and possible loss of

These facts become more worrisome because more than half of Ang

population lives in urban areas and coastal zone continually increasing

density of construction, traffic chaos and inherently greater impacts

difficulties of evacuation in case of disaster;

(iii)Inadequate sanitation infrastructure - contribute to dispersal of patho

causing infectious diseases that proliferate on the occurrence of na

disasters, whether of small or medium size (see Figure 3c).

4(.(Final(Consideration.(

The" preceding" paragraphs" show" that" natural" disasters" can" not" be" classiied

situations" that" come" exclusively" from" natural" forces" as" a" consequences" of"

development"model"adopted"by"the"authorities" ("Angolan")"assumes"an"important

in"the"occurrence"of"disasters"since"the"vulnerability"is"the"determinant"of"the"seve

of"impacts"socioeconomic".

The"socio9economic"impacts"associated"with"disasters"have"shown"an"increasing"tr

due" to" direct" effects" on" vulnerable" communities" that" requires" attention" and" d

analysis" on" the" part" of" policymakers," educational"and "research" institutions" and"

society"in"general,"since"everyone"must"participate"in"inding"solutions" to"mitigate

impacts."The"complexity"and"scope"of"the"problem" about" natural"disasters" requir

transnational"relection"and"analysis","involving"several"countries"in"sub9Saharan"A

("at"least"those"that"are"embedded"in"a"common"river"basin")","because"natural"disas

can"trigger"signiicant" damage"( "environmental"and"socioeconomic") "that" "for"obv

reasons" related" to" the" geographical" location" of" the" countries" and" the" relation

economic"dependence"9"spread"beyond"the"site"of"the"disaster".Finally,"it"is"stated"th

for" natural" disasters" 9" are" major" challenges" facing" Angola" and" not" to" take"

challenges" today" may" contribute" to" the" aggravation" of" poverty" and" the" conseq

vulnerability"of"communities"in"different"regions"from"north"to"south".


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Therefore,"countries"with" weak"

structure"and"poorly"diversiied"

economic" "and,"of"course"," with"

l i m i t e d" i n t e g r a t i o n" i n"

i n te r n at i on a l" n e t wo r ks" o f"

relationships" ," as" well" as" the"

dificulty"of"gathering"resources"

are" adequate" to" face" emerging"

problems"ofrom"disasters

Everyone" must" participate" in"

inding"solutions"to"mitigate"the"

impacts.


."It"is"known"that"the"developing"countries"are"more"susceptible"to"natural"disaster

as" a" result" of" high" vulnerability" and"low" resilience." The" joint" report" of" the" Wor

Bank"and"the"United"Nations","published"in"2010"titled""Natural"Hazards","Unnatur

Disasters":"The"Economics"of"Effective"Prevention","points"out"that"economic"grow

in"underdeveloped"regions"hardly"occurs"after"natural"disasters","and"the"intensity

negative" effect"depends"on "the"structure"of"the"economy."Therefore,"countries" w

weak"structure"and" poorly" diversiied" economic" (" i.e."Angola"has" an"economy"ve

vulnerable" to"disruptions" in"oil"price")" and," of"course" ," with" limited" integration"

international"networks"of"relationships"("i.e."trade"in "goods","knowledge,"etc.)"exhib

weak" social" capital," as" well" as" the" dificulty" of" gathering" resources" (" i.e." huma

technological" and" economic" )" are" adequate" to" face" emerging" problems" fro

disasters".

Angola'Open'Policy'Ini0a0ve'|'AOPI

29'Lees'Lane,'Southoe,'

England

PE19'5YG,'UK

27'Amilcar'Cabral

Ingombotas

'Provincia'de'Luanda'

Republica'de'Angola'

Email:'[email protected]

www.aopi.org

F:'+44()'28'1449'49(UK)

M:'+244'933'56'23(Angola)

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NATURAL DISASTERS- Causes, Impact and Challenges to Angolan and Subsahara Africa Society