The recent floods which ravaged the provinces of Mpumalanga and Limpopo, including in the Kruger National Park, show that climate change is a reality and leaves devastation in its path. They have had a devastating effect on people, animals and nature. Flooding has become more frequent and severe as climate change makes storms more powerful.
With climate change and ravaging floods upon us, it is now upon us to mitigate the devastating effects. We witnessed heavy rains, overflowing dams and rivers and streams bursting their banks causing immeasurable damage to infrastructure, homes and the environment. Worst of all, people lost their properties and livelihoods, and some lost their lives.
One of the most important ways to mitigate the devastating effects of floods is to respect floodlines and stop constructing houses on floodplains. This is more important than ever before as we experience extreme weather patterns which bring frequent floods. Floodlines are used to inform developers, landowners and residents of potential flood dangers, guiding safe construction practices and land-use planning.
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Floodlines must always be included in township establishment plans and building plans to restrict developments in high risk areas, and municipalities and all other relevant authorities must ensure that communities comply. The onus is on each and every individual to ensure their safety. People are encouraged not to invade and build on floodplains as this makes them vulnerable to flooding.
It is a plea for their safety and to prevent loss of lives and property as people in floodplains are always at risk of flooding during heavy rains. Let us be responsible and not put our lives, the lives of our families, and our investments at risk. Illegal land invasions and unauthorised buildings must be highly discouraged and stopped as people end up in restricted areas like floodplains which are dangerous and makes them vulnerable to flood disasters.
Lawlessness must be discouraged and dealt with by law enforcement to prevent disasters. The recent floods have once again shown that we must always respect the path of water, as water leaves nothing untouched in its way, especially during heavy downpours. Heavy rains can transform familiar landscapes into life-threatening hazards in a matter of minutes. People living downstream of dams must always comply and respect the floodlines as we can see that dams frequently overflow nowadays.
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