FLOODING AND

DROUGHT
 FLOODS!
RIVER FLOODING IS A
NATURAL EVENT.
 MOST RIVERS FLOOD AT
LEAST ONCE A YEAR.

THE FLAT LAND NEXT TO THE

RIVER IS KNOWN AS THE FLOOD
PLAIN.
THIS LAND IS MORE LIKELY TO
GET FLOODED.
IT IS SO CALLED BECAUSE IT IS
Flooding in mid-June swamps a statue of the Hindu diety THE FIRST TO BE FLOODED ONCE
Shiva. The floods killed more than 5,700 people.
THE WATER OVERFLOWS THE
RIVER BANKS.
 DROUGHT!
DROUGHT IS A PERIOD
OF DRY WEATHER LONGER
OR WORSE THAN
NORMALLY EXPECTED.
IT OCCURS WHEN WIND
AND PRESSURE PATTERNS
ARE DIFFERENT FROM
NORMAL SO THAT
EXPECTED RAINSDO NOT
FALL.
THEY OCCUR USUALLY
Parched Caribbean Faces Widespread Drought, Water
Shortages IN WATER POOR
COUNTRIES.
GREATER IMPACTS
BEING ON RURAL ARES
AND POOR PEOPLE , WHO
CAN’T AFFORD SAFE
WATER
 CAUSES OF FLOODS…
The following factors may encourage flooding:

 A steep-sided channel - a river channel surrounded by steep slopes

causes fast surface run-off.
 A lack of vegetation or woodland - trees and plants intercept
precipitation (ie they catch or drink water). If there is little
vegetation in the drainage basin then surface run-off will be high.
 A drainage basin, consisting of mainly impermeable rock - this will
mean that water cannot percolate through the rock layer, and so
will run faster over the surface.
 A drainage basin in an urban area - these consist largely of
impermeable concrete, which encourages overland flow. Drains and
sewers take water quickly and directly to the river channel. Houses
with sloping roofs further increase the amount of run-off.
 EFFECTS OF FLOODS
• Economic
During floods, roads, bridges, farms, houses and
automobiles are destroyed. People become homeless.
Additionally, the government deploys firemen, police and
other emergency apparatuses to help the affected. All
these come at a heavy cost to people and the government.
It usually takes years for affected communities to be re-
built and business to come back to normalcy.
• Environment
Chemicals and other hazardous substances end up in the
water and eventually contaminate the water bodies that
floods end up in.Additionally, flooding causes kills animals,
and others insects are introduced to affected areas,
distorting the natural balance of the ecosystem.
 CAUSES OF DRAUGHT
• Precipitation deficiency- Drought are mainly course by in low rain
areas. If these factors do not support precipitation volumes
sufficient to reach the surface over a sufficient time, the result is a
drought.
• The dry season- This greatly increases drought occurrence, and is
characterized by its low humidity, with watering holes and rivers
drying up.
• Erosion and human activities- Human activity can directly trigger
exacerbating factors such as over farming, excessive
irrigation, deforestation, and erosion adversely impact the ability of
the land to capture and hold water.
• Climate change- Activities resulting in global climate change are
expected to trigger droughts with a substantial impact on
agriculture throughout the world, and especially in developing
nations.
EFFECTS OF DROUGHT
Droughts lower the quality of soils, because there is less organic
activity, more wind erosion, and soil insects or organisms
perish.Water bodies dry out, and water animals die. This is called
habitat destruction,entire food chains and ecosystems are also
affected.
Desertification is when fertile lands become bare and infertile, often
as a result of overgrazing, deforestation and other economic activity.
Animals (wildlife) migrate long distances in search of water.

Low crop yield means farmers lose a lot of money, farm workers have
to take pay cuts and some may even have to be laid off.

Businesses and industries that manufacture farm equipment and

resources lose money because farmers do not have the money to buy
from them.

Less or no rains mean dryer conditions and more bush fires. Farms
are destroyed, properties are razed down, forests and trees are burned
and people lose money this way
No. of famine victims per year
THANK YOU