Devastating floods in South Africa: over 80 dead and countless damage!

Devastating floods in South Africa: over 80 dead and countless damage!

The east coast of South Africa suffers from catastrophic floods, which have cost more than 80 people to date to date. The city of Mthatha is particularly affected, about 800 kilometers south of Johannesburg, where the floods reached a height of up to four meters. President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the heavily hit region on Friday and explained that climate change had caused the "catastrophic misfortune". According to the Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, at least 86 people were killed in the province of Eastern Cape, including six children who were torn away from the water masses with a school bus.

The current events illustrate the vulnerability of South Africa compared to the effects of climate change. According to the [UN Climate Fund Green Climate Fund] (https://www.kleinezeitung.at/service/newsticker/chronik/19795182/Ueber-80-todesopfer bei-Ueberschrünungen-in-so-in-suedafrika), the country is particularly susceptible to extreme weather events that are reinforced by climate change. This year, the coastal regions of South Africa were haunted by "unprecedented" weather conditions, and experts warn of increasing droughts and extreme rainfall that can lead to severe crop failures and endanger nutritional safety.

political reactions and measures

President Ramaphosa emphasized the need to increase the adaptation strategies to the changed climatic conditions. Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions were addressed to alleviate the effects of climate change. South Africa has signed the Paris climate protection agreement, which includes the plan to reduce the dependence on fossil energies for electricity production and to advance the expansion of renewable energies, especially solar and wind energy.

The persistent problems with air pollution, water supply and the predictability of weather conditions not only represent a threat to the environment, but also have a negative impact on the economy and the daily life of the population. The poorer society is particularly affected because it has fewer resources to deal with fatal consequences. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events requires urgent measures to ensure the country's resilient adaptability.

long -term effects and challenges

The unusual weather conditions in South Africa are in the low -threshold context of the increasing climate crises. Already today it turns out that the distances between dry and rainy times are getting bigger. This not only exacerbates the problems of nutritional security through crop failures, but also endangers the country's biodiversity. Many animal species are already threatened with extinction, while large cities such as Cape Town and Johannesburg are increasingly affected by heat waves and drought. The current events are a strong testimony to the challenges with which South Africa will be faced in the future and underline the urgency of measures to combat the climate crisis.

The rule of climate change over the nature of South African landscapes is no longer to be ignored, and the keys to survival are the ability of the country to counter the challenges with innovative solutions and sustainable planning.

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OrtMthatha, Südafrika
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