CaribbeanStudies:Flooding and Drought 2014
Floods :Socio Economic Impact
Floods are silent killers. Flooding is perhaps the most frequently occurring natural disaster known. In the
Caribbean, flooding is most prevalent during the Hurricane season (June 1st to Nov 30th) since heavy rains
are often caused by hurricanes or tropical storms.
Some Caribbean islands are more severely affected than others. This is largely dependent on their
topography or development as it relates to infrastructure and whether they have been affected by an
intense hurricane or weather system.
Historically, countries such as Haiti, Dominican Republic, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Vincent
and the Grenadines, the BVI, Bermuda and Belize, Jamaica and St. Lucia have been affected the most by
flooding.
Social impact of flooding (Nation news.com Tuesday Oct 14, 2014)
Flooding has emerged as the most common natural hazard affecting the socioeconomic development of a
country.
Effects of flooding
1. Death- In Haiti 15 people were killed as a result of flooding. In 2004, in Haiti and Dominican
Republic 400 people due to flooding
2. Dislocation of people- Property as a result of flooding forced hundreds of people to start
rebuilding. In 2004, 15000 people were left homeless as a result of flooding in Haiti and
Dominican Republic.
3. Destruction of property-Property destruction run into the millions. Jamaica needs more than US
$100 million to deal with infrastructural damaged caused by Tropical Storm Nicole that left 13
dead. In St. Lucia, the government was forced to declare the eastern village of Dennery a disaster
zone after nearly 100 houses were submerged in water caused by unprecedented floods.
4. Destruction of crops and livelihood.
Causes of Flooding
1. Destruction of natural drainage systems allowing for the water to find its place among populated
areas.
2. Deforestation-
CaribbeanStudies:Flooding and Drought 2014
Droughts
A drought is a temporary feature of the climate. It is an unusually long period when rainfall is
below the ‘normal levels’ for that region, causing severe depletion of the water available to
plants, animals and human beings.
Uses of Water
Recreation
Turism
Manufacturing
Uses of
water
Agriculture
Mining
Domestic
What causes drought?
Human activities causing drought
1. Widespread cutting down of trees for fuel reduces the soil’s ability to hold water drying out
the ground, triggering desertification and leading to drought.
2. Construction of a dam on a large river to help provide electricity can trigger drought
downstream.
3. Population growth and improvements in the living standards also put a strain on the water
supply. Caribbean populations especially Urban populations are growing and therefore the
demand for water is also growing.
Natural reasons
1. El Nino effect- The El Nino effect has been implicated in extreme weather events world
wide such as floods, hurricanes and droughts.This is the name give to the periodic up
swelling of warm waters off the coast of Peru displacing cold currents there, which adversely
affects the fishing economy and disrupts local weather patterns.
2. Southern Oscillation-This is the increase sea surface temperature and the fluctuation in
atmospheric pressure over oceans occurring ever 2-7 years.
CaribbeanStudies:Flooding and Drought 2014
The combination of El Nino effect and Southern oscillation are responsible for prolonged droughts
experienced by in the Caribbean. See Case Study p.141 in Mohammed, Caribbean Studies
Effects of drought
In February 2010, the Caribbean experienced prolonged drought when the region received less than half
of the expected rainfall predicted by meteorologists. The decrease in rainfall affected many territories. In
Jamaica, the drought affected social and economic functioning.
1. Water lock offs from the main lines were constant in the city of Kingston.
2. Classes were suspended at educational institutions and some businesses and public services had
to reduce activities
3. The National water commission had to truck limited water to communities, factories and
institutions
4. The drought cost the agency nearly US $2.5 million, the lost revenue from not being able to
supply the commodity.
5. In Guyana, water had to be trucked to farms and the government spent thousands of dollars in
mitigation techniques.
6. The mining industry was affected, as lower levels in the country’s rivers reduced movement of
shipping vessels carrying materials up and down the rivers. Production was reduced in some areas
and where operation continued, production cost increased (This in in Guyana).
Short term effects of drought
1. Soil moisture decreases, vegetation wilts and eventually dies. This leads to loss of agricultural
produce.
2. Increases in the price of food as a result of the shortages
3. Increases in the risk of forest or bush fires which can threaten life and property.
4. A reduction in economic activity which can lead to reduction in the revenues of governments
from taxation. Jamaica’s Water Minister, Horace Chang, said the National Commission was
losing an estimated J200 million dollars (US $2.2 million) per month in revenue as a result of
drought in 2010.
5. Famine condition may develop in extreme, cases this can also contribute to social unrest e.g.
Morant Bay Uprising in Jamaica.
6. Reduction in planting material, seedlings, suckers, yam heads thus reducing yields in the coming
years
7. Countries will have to import food to make up for the shortfall from local agricultural production.
This would be an additional expenditure for the particular country which may have very limited
foreign exchange available.
8. Crops exported will be affected by low yields reducing foreign exchange earnings.
9. Reduction in the manufacturing output especially those which are dependent on water in the
productive process.
CaribbeanStudies:Flooding and Drought 2014
Social
1. A reduction in the quality of life may result
2. Food shortages and possible death.
3. Spreading of diseases. The shortage of domestic water supply has implications for
health/hygiene/sanitation
4. Droughts can increase unemployment since a high percentage of the Caribbean population still
depends on agriculture for employment. Increases in unemployment levels lead to a reduction in
disposable income affecting families and individuals in their effort to satisfy basic needs.
Furthermore there would be an increase in praedial larceny as animals may become a target for
theft with loss of food.
Reducing the effects of Droughts
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Public education on the importance on water uses
Encourage the use of water saving devices.
Rationing of water-limiting water usage to the essentials
Fixing leaks in water mains
Universal metering-Barbados
Use of desalination plants to convert brackish water to portable water-Ionics Freshwater Ltd
(Barbados)
7. Increase monitoring of ground water supplies.
Questions
1. List some ways water shortages and droughts could affect your country.
2. What can citizens do to lessen the impact of drought on their daily lives?
3. Discuss measures developed by water authority in one Caribbean Country to deal with drought.
4. What are some cultural expressions and behaviour that may be considered responses to adapt to
the effects of drought?
Write the following essays:
State TWO ways in which drought affects food production in the Caribbean.
(20 marks) This essay is due on the 24th October 2014.
Flooding is caused by a combination of natural and man made factors. Discuss the extent to which
flooding is a MAJOR environmental hazard in the Caribbean. (30 marks) Due Tuesday November 4th
2015.