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W
ater
E
ducation
and
I
nstitutional
D
evelopment
The snow accumulated in the Alps melted and caused
flood disasters.
A very severe heat wave then came to Europe. It
killed a total of 35,118 people in France (14,802),
Germany (7,000), Spain (4,230), Italy (4,175), Portugal
(1,316), Wales, UK (2,045), the Netherlands (1,400)
and Belgium (150), according to the Earth Policy
Institute. A maximum air temperature of more than
35 °C continued from 4-13 August 2003, increasing
the death toll day by day with a peak of 2,197 on 12
August. Even in developed European countries, such
a tragedy happened because many aged people lived in
houses where there was no air conditioning. In 2010,
the northern hemisphere again faced significant damage
from heat waves.
Examples in Japan – tragedy in an ‘aged’ society
Likewise, the Asia-Pacific region is also affected by
extreme weather. Ten typhoons directly hit Japan in
2004, for example, while the overall annual average
number of typhoons to hit the country is usually
fewer than three. The Japanese Meteorological Agency
reported that 326 people were killed in 2004 by these
typhoons, other rainstorms and resultant flood events.
Japan is now an ‘aged’ society (severer than an ‘ageing’
society). In Niigata, in July 2004, flooding killed 15
Higher fluctuation examples in Europe
Extreme meteorological variation is taking place. Europeans may
clearly remember the floods of 2002, severe snowfall events during
the winters of 2002 and 2003 and the heat waves in 2003.
During the 2002 floods, Europe received approximately 500 mm
of rainfall produced by a low pressure that moved from the United
Kingdom to central Europe during 9-12 August. The Elbe and
Danube rivers caused much damage. Major urban areas of Dresden
and Prague, located respectively along the Elbe River and the Vltava
River upstream, were inundated by flooding, which was said to be
caused by an outdated irrigation system upstream. After this event
the Czech and German governments discussed how to avoid a repeat
of this kind of flood disaster. The Elbe River has long been contam-
inated by industrial wastewater including heavy metals such as
mercury, cadmium and lead, as well as chlorides. The management
of water in this river is of great importance to the countries situated
along it. Rainstorm events from the end of May to the beginning of
June in 2013 damaged these rivers by resultant floods, which were
smaller (3,200 m
3
/s) than the devastating flood event of 2002 with
more than 5,000 m
3
/s.
In south-east France, a heavy rainfall of 687 mm in 24 hours
on 8-9 September 2002 caused severe flooding in the Gard River
basin (2,070 km
2
). There were 24 deaths, half of which occurred
in privately owned cars, and economic loss of about €1.12 billion.
These flood events were followed by heavy snowfall in the winter
of 2002-2003, which was the second heaviest snow since 1967.
Year
2002
2003
2004
2004
2004
2005
2007
2008
2008
2009
2010
2010
2010
2011
2011
Location
Central Europe
Central Europe
Haiti, Dominique, etc.
India, Bangladesh, Nepal, etc.
Indonesia + 13 countries
USA
Bangladesh
Myanmar
USA + Caribbean countries
Taiwan
Chile
Russia
Pakistan
Japan
Thailand
Economic Loss
(Million US$)
20,000+
13,000+
9,000
N/A
14,000
14,400
1,700
10,000
4,000
3,300
3,100
15,000
43,000
235,000
4,000
Death toll
(people)
69
70,000+
3,025+
3,076
230,000
1,322
3,447
138,366
170
678
525+
55,000+
1,781+
15,840
813
Hazard type
Flood
Heat wave
Flood, Hurricane Jeanne
Flood
Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Hurricane Katrina
Cyclone Sidr
Cyclone Nargis
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike
Typhoon Morakot, landslide
Earthquake, tsunami
Heat wave
Flood
Earthquake, tsunami
Flood
Major natural hazards and disasters in the twenty-first century
Source: Munich Re,
The Economist
(14 January 2012), Wikipedia, etc.