Calgary has already had two 100-year floods in less than a decade. But the city and the province have yet to take action to meaningfully lower the risk of future flood damages.
Cyclone Ava caused hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage in Madagascar.
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World Water Day shines a light on the importance of safe, clean drinking water, but a new report finds Canada’s freshwater systems are under stress.
The Iguazu Falls in Brazil are part of the Guarani Aquifer, one of the world’s major underground reserves of fresh water. The 8th World Water Forum, part of 2018 World Water Day, is being held in Brazil, home to the most fresh water on Earth.
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Water is one of our most precious resources, yet it’s in danger. World Water Day reminds us of the need to develop policies and governance to avoid squandering water.
Floods in South East Queensland follow a 40-year cycle, and planners should take note.
AAP Image
Engineering practice assumes that floods are randomly distributed but science suggests they are not. This raises questions about the reliability of flood infrastructure and management strategies.
Western Canada faced record droughts and forest fires in 2017.
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We think of Canada as a water-rich country, but we are not immune to water shortages or disasters. With some advance planning, Canada can avoid a water catastrophe.
Rising waters: Paris, January 29, 2018.
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It was the Seine’s rise and fall, in response to heavy rain, that inspired our current understanding of river systems.
Searching for victims after a rain-triggered mudslide that blanketed a village and killed at least 178 people in north China’s Shanxi province, Sept. 13, 2008.
AP Photo/Andy Wong
A. Joshua West, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
While the Montecito, California mudslides took 20 lives, landslides kill far more people in developing countries. Tighter construction standards and early warning systems could help reduce their toll.
You should never try to drive through floodwater, because you never know what’s beneath the surface. And new research shows some roads are more treacherous than others.
People wait to get evacuated in Sukadana village, near Mount Agung, a volcano on the highest alert level, in Bali, Indonesia.
Reuters
What decisions can we make today to reduce the future risk of hazards like floods and fire? Particularly in a time of climate change, modelling various plausible futures helps us plan for uncertainty.
Cars are submerged on a flooded road in the Sydney suburb of Marrickville in 2012.
Alex Holver/NixPages
A massive residential development in a flood-prone inner-city suburb sounds like a recipe for disaster. But good urban design can deliver higher density and reduce the flood risk.
Florentina Amaya of Houston looks at mold damage to her home, Sept. 5, 2017.
AP Photo/David J. Phillip
Even when power is restored and floodwaters have receded after hurricanes, mold can still be a big problem. There are some things you can do on your own, but the damage can be extensive.
A woman takes an oral cholera vaccine in a hospital. But cholera vaccines are not always effective and never long lasting.
REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares
Many states in Nigeria are reeling from cholera outbreaks. They need better health and sanitation infrastructure to disrupt transmission of the bacteria which cause the disease.
Immokalee, Florida sustained heavy damage during Hurricane Irma.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
The insurance industry should help its customers prepare for future catastrophes instead of burying it’s head in the sand.
Satellite image on Sept. 7, 2017 shows three hurricanes: Irma in the center just north of the island of Hispaniola, Katia on the left in the Gulf of Mexico and Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on the right.
NOAA via AP
What scientists know – and don’t know – about the linkage between climate change and hurricanes.
Damage from Irma can be seen in this photo of Kelly McClenthen in Bonita Springs, Florida, as she returned to her home Sept. 11, 2017.
AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
Even in areas predicted to take direct hits from hurricanes and other storms, hospitals must do all they can to stay open. It isn’t an easy task, but preparation and practice help.