The Importance of Risk Management Practices for Environmental Crises: An Analysis Based on the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal Floods

Over the years, Durban, a coastal city in South Africa, has been more susceptible to the impact of climate change.

Events such as extreme temperature variations, rising sea levels, and floods have affected the city’s economy, natural habitat, infrastructure, and settlements. Infrastructure plays a crucial role in mitigating the impact of natural disasters. The quality of infrastructures' determine it's effectiveness in reducing damage caused by such an event.

This report explores the vulnerability of Durban’s infrastructure to climate change, reflecting upon the events of the 2022 KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) floods. By reflecting on this event, it would be possible to assess how prepared Durban is for such events and explore possible solutions to lessen the potential damage of natural occurrences.

In April 2022, the KZN province on the East Coast of South Africa experienced heavy rains. The high temperatures that occurred due to climate change, led to an increase in evaporation. Due to this evaporation, a low-pressure weather system ensued, resulting in excessive rainfall (Eloff, 2024). This rain event caused soil erosion leading to dangerous landslides, human settlements (mainly informal) were damaged, and roads were flooded. Water reserves were compromised. This was a great challenge because, although the heavy rains were expected, the flooding had not been anticipated and prepared for.

Chaos and panic ensued as people were displaced and emergency services struggled to meet the demands of the disaster. An accumulation of organic debris and soil resulted in clogged wetlands which also contributed to the floods, as wetlands serve as a natural storage unit for water. Most of the trouble was due to the lack of preparation and infrastructure to deal with such. The root causes of the flooding are an inadequate drainage system in the affected communities and poor waste management. 

The impact of this event had severe consequences on the affected communities such as the damage in agricultural systems which led to a decrease in food supply. The flooding of dams and other water reserves contaminated the water that affected communities would use and led to water insecurity issues. The damage in infrastructure like buildings, bridges, roads, and personal assets caused an economic loss of approximately R17 billion (IPCC, 2023).

Above all the greatest impact was on the displacement of multiple citizens due to the damage of settlements, infringing on basic human rights as they lost access to shelter, water, and food during this time. The livelihoods of Durban residents were in grave danger during this time and unfortunately, lives were lost, and people got missing till date (Wits University, 2023). The destruction of infrastructure made it difficult for emergency services to operate and limited the operations of rescue teams. The floods highlight the importance of having adequate disaster and risk management. 

Despite the setback of this environmental tragedy, various solutions have been implemented to repair the damage, restore infrastructure, and improve preparedness for future events. The government made an initiative to repair the damaged infrastructure and reconstruct vulnerable bridges, roads, and buildings. This is important as these infrastructures are needed for the communities dispersed to commute to essential places such as school and work. The government also prioritised the well-being of vulnerable communities and offered temporary shelters, food, and medical care.

The South African Weather Service (SAWS) did its part by improving its systems to ensure that it can provide early warnings to vulnerable communities. By doing so, community members could relocate to safer areas before any tragedy, and emergency services can be better prepared and ready. The local government has also taken action to build flood-preventative measures like improved storm-water drainage systems and flood-walls.

Efforts by the government, SAWS, and humanitarian groups are important in mitigating floods. However, additional measures could further strengthen existing systems: 

• Underground infiltration system - A system that collects runoff water from roads and roofs. Passing the runoff through gravel soil and storing the water in a designated excavation (EPA, 2015).
• Wetland restoration - By ensuring that wetlands do not accumulate organic debris or soil, they can appropriately store excess water during heavy rains alleviating the possibility of floods.
• Better Waste Management Practices - Having a great drainage system is beneficial but it is just important to maintain it well. During the 2022 flooding crisis, a buildup of litter and floating waste contributed to the blockage of the drainage systems. Therefore, it is vital that clean-up programmes are introduced to ensure that the drains are not blocked. The communities should be enlightened on the appropriate ways to dispose of waste and the potential dangers of littering. 

The 2022 KZN floods serve as a visible consequence of climate change. It is now up to us to prepare, adapt, and mitigate its effects. Environmental events are a reminder of the importance of having the appropriate infrastructure and waste management systems. It is important that natural methods are explored as they are more sustainable, however, all methods that ensure the wellbeing and safety of communities from natural disasters should be explored.

The collaboration between different stakeholders (government, industry professionals, and community members) is sure to produce sustainable solutions. This article aims to contribute to the growing resources on flood risk management and suggestions for potential dangers. By analysing the 2022 KZN floods and adopting effective flood risk management and mitigation strategies, it is possible to develop more resilient and sustainable communities and reduce the risks related to flooding.

 REFERENCES  

1. Eloff, H. (2024). Climate change wreaks havoc: Major floods in KwaZulu-Natal and…. [online] NSRI. Available at: https://www.nsri.org.za/2024/06/climate-change-wreaks-havoc-major-floods-in-kwazulu-natal-and-eastern-cape/.
2. EPA (2015). Mitigate Flooding | US EPA. [online] US EPA. Available at: https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/mitigate-flooding.
3. IPCC. (2023). Summary for Policymakers [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, M. Tignor, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem (eds.)]. In: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, pp. 3-33, doi:10.1017/9781009325844.001.
4. Mudefi, E. (2023). Disaster management ‘deeds’ in the context of April 2022 KwaZulu-Natal floods: A scoping review. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, [online] 98, p.104122. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2023.104122.
5. Wits University (2023). 2023-04 - The 2022 Durban floods were the most catastrophic yet recorded in KwaZulu-Natal - Wits University. [online] www.wits.ac.za. Available at: https://www.wits.ac.za/news/latest-news/general-news/2023/2023-04/the-2022-durban-floods-were-the-most-catastrophic-yet-recorded-in-kwazulu-natal.html.

Written By: Naledi Msomi & Takudzwa Charisse Taruza   

Edited by: Muhammad Abdullahi Ibrahim