Heavy Rain Kills in UK, Pakistan and Bangladesh
by Matthew Sparkes, London, UK on 06.28.07
The UK has seen an incredible amount of rain, in a very short time. One sixth of the average annual rainfall in 24 hours - the tragic results are obvious; massive flooding, huge property damage and several deaths. In other parts of the world there is more unusual weather causing problems. In Pakistan flooding killed 200, and more rain in Bangledesh killed 100 when it caused heavy mudslides.
Can this extraordinary weather be attributed to climate change? Obviously, we can say if it's a direct result, but it is plain to see that this weather is extremely unusual. Many researchers agree that rainfall is likely to increase die to climate change, and with many parts of England as low as they are we should be paying close attention.
The Fire Brigades Union described the rescue effort in the UK as the 'biggest in peacetime Britain', with 3,500 people being rescued in recent days. BBC weather forecaster Jay Wynne believes that some areas could see another 2 inches of rain at the weekend, so the situation is far from over. "Today it's a pretty reasonable day. One or two light showers. There will be some rain overnight. The main event is going to be this weekend. There will be plenty of wet, windy weather across the country on Saturday. It could be quite nasty." ::BBC
See also ::Flood Maps: View Sea Level Rise ::The Tide is Turning: natural flood defence makes a come-back
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I recently read that some of the arguments for banning plastic bags in countries such as Bangladesh is that they block drains, which of course makes flooding worse.
Perhaps this arguement could become a valid one for the UK too.
Arguements against the ban include 'it will cost jobs' but if bags do infact block drains and therefore 'cost lives' than i think plastic bag bans could be introduced sooner rather than later in the UK.
Bangladesh doesn't flood because of global warming. Bangladesh has had a flooding/erosion issue for well over 30 years. The biggest problem is the corruption which trickels down into every avenue of life. Those that were born in the city and understand the systems in place can't count on very much because things don't happen routinely there. Many people, especially those that have moved in from the village and those that have just given up hope of something being done anytime soon about the problems, just throw the trash out of the windows and onto the street and no one cleans it up which causes many more problems than blocked drains. But lets talk about plastic bags...
In 2001 plastic bags were not only already banned, there was a hefty fine for using them. They did it hoping that it would solve the pollution problem. A bit like "if you want good gas milage on a car, take the tires off." There are many efforts being done by Unicef and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to push education and sanitation projects among the people- which may help with some of the problems, but not all of it. It will be interesting to see what happens in the coming elections. Dr. Yunus is considering running.