Displaying items by tag: flood danger

In Alexandra, South Africa’s oldest township, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, local volunteers known as the Alexandra Water Warriors are working tirelessly to protect their community from worsening flood risks and pollution. Using garbage-trapping nets across the Jukskei River, they are trying to prevent debris from clogging the waterway - a growing danger linked to illegal dumping and climate-intensified flash floods. The stakes are high: when the river overflows, bridges disappear underwater and children are unable to reach school. Despite limited resources, the Water Warriors plant native trees, clean riverbanks, and recycle collected waste into items that can bring in income. Their efforts have significantly reduced visible pollution, demonstrating the power of grassroots action in a place overshadowed by extreme inequality: Alexandra lies within sight of affluent Sandton, yet lacks basic infrastructure support. As world leaders gather in Johannesburg to discuss climate resilience, communities like Alexandra urgently need the global partnership and investment they cannot secure alone.

New research from Newcastle University published in the academic journal Environmental Research Letters reveals that nearly sixty UK cities will battle flooding by 2051, with Glasgow and Aberdeen among the worst-hit. The changes in flooding, droughts and heatwaves for European cities are blamed on climate change and the effect of greenhouse gases on global temperature. Experts are now calling for improved flood defences in order to prevent severe damage in future. The most optimistic scenario showed that 85% of UK cities with a river would face increased flooding. Some areas in the UK and Ireland could see the amount of water per flood as much as double.