Zamaneh Media
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise
No Result
View All Result
Zamaneh Media
No Result
View All Result

Climate Change, Global Floods, and Lessons from the Dutch

by Mahtab Divsalar
July 28, 2021
in Featured Items, Latest Articles
Reading Time: 7 mins read
0

TOPSHOT - Workers use buckets to throw mud out of a damaged house in Dernau near Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, western Germany, on July 22, 2021, days after heavy rain and floods caused major damage in the Ahr region. - Chancellor Merkel on July 22, 2021 stressed the need to "speed up" the fight against climate change, as the death toll from devastating floods in Germany reached 177. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP)

The 2019 flood in Iran was the deadliest in recent years, but it will not be the last.

With the effects of climate change growing more serious, Iran will have other devastating floods in the future.

Recent floods have devastated parts of Western Europe, yet there were no casualties in the Netherlands.

Zamaneh asked Dutch experts about their success in dealing with the recent floods in Europe and what Iranians could learn from the Dutch experience.

Long-term planning for flood control, proper management of water resources, and relying on adequate flood warning systems are key to reducing casualties and financial losses.

Bas Jonkman is a professor of Hydraulic Engineering at Delft University in the Netherlands. He focuses on research and education in the fields of hydraulic structures and flood risk.

In an interview with Zamaneh, Professor Jonkman explained why there were fewer fatalities in the Netherlands than elsewhere:

“Rainfall was much more extreme in Germany [and Belgium] than in the Netherlands. Also, the geographies are different. In Germany and Belgium, there are steeper catchments [and valleys], so there was more sudden and extreme ‘flash flooding,’ followed by landslides in some areas. Warning systems did not work everywhere.”

“In the Netherlands, we had out-of-bank flooding in local streams and rivers (e.g., Valkenburg), but the Meuse River stayed within its banks. The inhabited areas around the Meuse are protected by dikes, which just held. Some mass evacuations were ordered,” Professor Jonkman said.

Iran Flood

Only a few days after the Iranian New Year (Nowruz), heavy rainfall caused flash floods across Iran, affecting 25 out of 31 provinces and leaving at least 76 dead and 200 wounded. About a third of the country’s infrastructure was damaged during the floods. The main question is, what is the chief cause of this unprecedented flood? Poor water resources management, climate change, or both?

What caused the delayed flood of 2019 in Iran?

Record rainfall in the spring of 2019 led to unprecedented flooding across several Middle Eastern countries, including Iran. The heavy rains were unparalleled in the past four decades and were in stark contrast to the previous dry year.

It isn’t easy to determine the cause of a particular phenomenon or event without a long-term analysis of the situation when it comes to climate change. However, scientists can “speculate” that the sharp transition from dry to wet may “potentially” result from climate change.

Research conducted by Amin Dezfuli, a senior scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, examined Iran’s 2019 floods and their causes.

According to this study published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society in 2020, the flood of 2019 in Iran was an example of rapid dry-to-wet transitions and intensification of extremes, potentially resulting from climate change.

In his research, Dezfuli attributes the recent devastating flood in Iran to the “atmospheric river” phenomenon, writing that a powerful atmospheric river (AR) originating from the North Atlantic Ocean substantially affected Iran. 

“The nearly 9,000-km-long AR propagated across North Africa and the Middle East and was fed by additional moisture from several other sources on its pathway,” Dezfuli explained in his article.

Dezfuli named this atmospheric river Dena (after the peak of the Zagros Mountains) and believes that Dena has played an important role in the unprecedented 2019 rainfall.

ARs are responsible for some of the hydroclimatic extremes worldwide, but Dena was rare in terms of intensity and effects.

Rainfall in some areas along this atmospheric river was recorded up to 400 mm.

According to the study, moisture transport by AR Dena was equivalent to more than 150 times the aggregated flow of the four major rivers in the region: the Tigris, Euphrates, Karun, and Karkheh.

The Iranian flood was not unpredictable. NASA’s Meteorological Forecasting Model can predict atmospheric river phenomena between five and seven days before they occur.

Shiraz flood, March 25

Lessons from the Dutch

During the recent floods in Western Europe, the results in Germany and Belgium were different than those of their neighbor, the Netherlands.

Apart from geographical differences, the Netherlands has a long history of water management and flood control.

The Netherlands is built on water and is vulnerable to flooding from not only the sea, but also from its rivers.

The Dutch use dams, dikes, and canals masterfully to protect the country from the water. The Dutch battle with the sea is a fight that is nearly a thousand years old.

In the recent floods in the Netherlands, no city was completely submerged, and not a single person was killed.

City officials were better prepared and communicated with the public promptly, minimizing damage and casualties by diverting floodwaters and evacuating citizens on time.

We asked Professor Jonkman how Iran can learn from the Dutch experience in flood control. 

“The Netherlands invests a lot of money in flood protection, €1 billion per year, and has specific organizations [water boards] for this. This continuous approach, which combines finance, organization, technical measures, and know-how, is important,” Professor Jonkmansaid.

“Also, we follow a risk-based approach to balance investments. For example, investments in flood-risk reduction are balanced with the potential damages and risks in the area, so that there is a good cost-benefit ratio,” he added.

The delta of Europe’s three major rivers (Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt) is located in the Netherlands. Most of the country is lower than the sea level. The Dutch government says 60% of the country is always at risk of flooding.

Rijkswaterstaat is a 200-year-old organization that manages roads and waterworks on behalf of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Waterworks.

A spokesman for Rijkswaterstaat told Zamaneh that the Netherlands has spent a long time planning to contain the floods and reach the flood control stage.

“We had a scary situation in 1993 and 1995, and it took us 20 years to complete the works. The time depends on the organization of the government in the areas that need to be adapted to extreme weather conditions. Central control is often better for the larger waterways, regional control for the minor rivers or brooks. But you will need to have strong cooperation and proper planning” he said.

According to the spokesman, the design and implementation of these projects, especially on a large scale, should be done with local governments and the central government based on regional needs.

“Iran’s challenge with extreme weather is that it needs to find ways to retain the rainwater higher up for as long as possible and have flood routes clear of obstacles and urban development on the way down. Vegetation planting programs and bigger dams can help retain water and prevent mudslides. Proper drainage size in bridges prevents damage to infrastructure. Wide flood plains give room for the water,” a spokesman for Rijkswaterstaat said.

The spokesman told Zamaneh that governments must pay for extreme weather either way:

“Either you pay for the colossal damage and the loss of economic activity, or you pay for the waterworks program. The second one is preferable because this will provide jobs and a stimulus to the economy, and you can do it on your own terms and schedule.”

The great flood of 2019 may have been the strongest in recent years, but it will not be the last. Iran will continue to have other devastating floods due to climate change. Long-term planning for flood control and an effective flood warning system is currently the only way to reduce casualties and financial losses.

Flood in Roodsar, Iran , Spring 2019
Flood in Golestan Province, Iran, Spring 2019

Iran suffered another deadly flood last week. Floods left eight dead throughout 15 provinces: West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Alborz, Isfahan, Bushehr, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohkiluyeh, and Boyer-Ahmad, Kerman, Fars, Sistan and Baluchestan, Semnan, Mazandaran, Hormozgan, Yazd, and Kurdistan.

The humanitarian organization Red Crescent Movement estimates that 2,578 people were affected by the floods and that 611 people were displaced from their homes.

Read More:

Climate Change and Flood in Iran: An Interview with Professor Eddy Moors

Tags: climate changefloodFlood in Iran
Previous Post

More Strikes, Less Safety for Workers in Iran: Download Zamaneh Labor Rights Report

Next Post

Iranian Hardliners Dream of China’s Internet Model

Related Posts

Kidnapping Iranian Children for Sex: The Role of Patriarchy and Religion
Latest Articles

Kidnapping Iranian Children for Sex: The Role of Patriarchy and Religion

June 23, 2022
A story from Qarchak prison: the gang that sells girls’ virginity for men’s sexual pleasure
Featured Items

A story from Qarchak prison: the gang that sells girls’ virginity for men’s sexual pleasure

June 21, 2022
Mazut Production in Iran: Human and Environmental Devastation for Nothing
Featured Items

Mazut Production in Iran: Human and Environmental Devastation for Nothing

June 18, 2022
Flag of
Featured Items

Khatam Al-Anbiya, Central Headquarters: A Representation of the IRGC’s Political Ambitions and Economic Pursuits

June 14, 2022
Iranian Civil Society Calls for Support of Detained Teachers and Trade Unionists during ILO Summit
Latest Articles

Iranian Civil Society Calls for Support of Detained Teachers and Trade Unionists during ILO Summit

June 8, 2022
The Iranian Workers Protest More Wage Suppression: Download Zamaneh’s Quarterly Labor Rights Report
Latest Articles

The Iranian Workers Protest More Wage Suppression: Download Zamaneh’s Quarterly Labor Rights Report

May 29, 2022

RSS Iran in Other Media

  • Red Crescent shelters more than 6500 quake-affected people in Hormozgan - Iran (Islamic Republic of) - ReliefWeb July 3, 2022
  • WTI fades recovery below $107.00 as Iran cuts oil prices, recession fears loom - FXStreet July 3, 2022
  • Iran Slashes the Cost of Its Oil to Compete With Russia in China - Bloomberg July 3, 2022
  • Security cooperation with Iran - Pakistan Observer July 3, 2022
  • 34 Years Ago Today: The Shootdown Of Iran Air Flight 655 - Simple Flying July 3, 2022
  • New Covid Variants To Dominate Iran As Hospitalizations Triple – Epidemiologist - ایران اینترنشنال July 3, 2022
  • Corruption In National University Entrance Exams Rocks Iran - ایران اینترنشنال July 3, 2022
  • 3 decades on, Iran waiting for apology from US over downing of passenger plane - Press TV July 3, 2022
  • Iran, Turkey, Russia consider launching joint car: Industry businessman - Press TV July 3, 2022
  • Iran negotiator talks nuclear deal in Russia visit: Moscow - The New Arab July 3, 2022
  • Israel mired in worst political, security condition, Iran FM says - Tehran Times July 3, 2022
  • Iran to continue both talks and nuclear program, MP says - Tehran Times July 3, 2022
  • Iran demands accountability from countries complicit in Sardasht chemical attack - Tehran Times July 3, 2022
  • Scholar calls on Iran and Arab states to speed up talks - Tehran Times July 3, 2022
  • Iran football discover fate at 2021 Solidarity Games - Tehran Times July 3, 2022
  • Daughter of Iran’s ex-president charged with propaganda, blasphemy - The Times of Israel July 3, 2022
  • U.S. to return another batch of Achaemenid tablets to Iran - Tehran Times July 3, 2022
  • Iran Website Says Oil Revenues Up With, Or Without A Nuclear Deal - ایران اینترنشنال July 3, 2022
  • Munich Cinema Iran Festival unveils 2022 program - Tehran Times July 3, 2022
  • Iran warns of American plot to provoke sectarian war in Afghanistan - Tehran Times July 3, 2022
Zamaneh Media

© 2020 Zamaneh Media

More information

  • Sponsors
  • Donate
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Legal

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Latest Articles
  • Latest News
  • About Zamaneh Media
    • Exiled Media Report
    • Sponsors
    • Donate
    • Contact us
    • Legal
  • Advertise

© 2020 Zamaneh Media