Look Around, Don’ t Let It Drown Andi Asyura Alikha, Muhammad Arham Harun, Syauqi Darussalam Lutfi, Andi Tiara S. Adam Faculty of Medicine, Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Indonesia
Short Description
Climate change is real and so is the threat. Warmer temperatures due to climate change evaporate more water into the air as it holds more water, resulting in heavier downpours. In the last decade, floods cause enormous damage all over the world, claiming about 93,000 fatalities. While in Indonesia, within 2014, 108 floods were reported with water levels ranging from 10cm to 5m, affected more than 1,160,000 people with 52 fatalities.
Floods affect tropical countries in Asia the most, victimize 400 million Asians annually. But climate change enable floods to threaten those outside tropical regions. Louisiana for instance, that has not been flooded for decades suffered a nightmarish flood due to a heavy storm in August 2016. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the World Weather Attribution said increasing global temperatures driven by human activity caused the Louisiana floods. They even claimed that climate change is doubling the odds of such a storm compared to in our preindustrial past say, 1900.
Increasing floods occurance is a serious issue, especially considering how floods pose terrifying health threats. Flood causes drowning, physical injuries, and even disrupts the supply of health services. Flood also contaminates freshwater supplies, heightens risk of waterborne diseases like dhiarrhea and hepatitis, it even multiplies disease-carrying insects like mosquitoes.
Best way in facing flood threats is to be prepared and informed regarding possible floods and its consequences. Providing good irrigation and planting trees can prevent flooding in towns by 20 %. Combating climate change as the main contributor to this floods is also an absolute measurement to take. Simply, adopting anti-climate change behaviors like reducing motor vehicles usage and unplug any unsued electrical devices can help reduce harmful gas and thus reducing the chance of flooding. Predicting flood is impossible, but reducing the threat is possible.
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