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According to Johannesson, Monteith and Ranby (2013) Floods happens when there is too much water on the land. Too much water causes rivers to overflow and flood the surrounding areas.

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The causes of flooding

Answer the following questions.

1.) List the three categories that flooding falls under?

2.) Define the term accumulation.

3.) What happens when the ground is saturated?

4.) How does urbanization contribute to increased flood risk?

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Johannesson, Monteith and Ranby (2013) state that human activity contributes to floods. For example:

People build dams which fill up and flood the surrounding areas.

Farmers remove or burn natural vegetation to make fields, causing water to flow very quickly.

In urban areas, water flows quickly off streets and buildings.

People remove or fill in lakes and wetlands.

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[Figure 1: Adapted from Thousands homeless and at risk of disease after devastating floods].

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Floods lead to serious damage to land and property and can many injuries and death (Johannesson, Monteith and Ranby ,2013).

The effect of floods on people and the land:

Diseases can spread easily.

People drown and are injured in floods.

Floods destroy animals and crops which results in food shortages.

During floods, the soil washes away making the land infertile and bad for farming.

Floods can wash sewage out of the sewage works, polluting water and food supplies.

(Johannesson, Monteith and Ranby ,2013).

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Why some communities are at higher risk than others. 

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Why some communities are at higher risk than others. 

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Read the following passage.

"Following catastrophic flash flooding in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has observed that vulnerable communities and health facilities are facing a crisis of clean water provision and adequate sanitation. Major district hospitals and dozens of health clinics are currently without water after floods damaged water supply systems. "

List 3 reasons why "vulnerable communities" are at higher risk than others.

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Figure 2: Adapted from Thousands homeless and at risk of disease after devastating floods].

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1.) Build barriers and walls along the banks of rivers and coastal lines.

2.) Improve drainage in settlements so that water can flow away quickly.

3.) Teach people about the dangers of flooding.

4.) Build settlements away from riverbanks.

5.) Make laws that prevent people from living in high-risk flood areas.

6.) Use lakes, natural vegetation and wetlands to prevent water from flooding too quickly.

(Johannesson, Monteith and Ranby ,2013).