Flood Emergency Response in Australia - Case Study Example

Flood Emergency Response in Australia Name: Date: Affiliation: Flood Emergency Response in Australia Introduction Flood emergency response operations involves clear interpretation of information, identification of the possible consequences, coming up with decisions related to strategy and objectives, coordinating the resources to enhance flood response and ultimately making the transition to recovery and reviewing. Flood response just like any other hazard management requires a comprehensive approach to the emergency and it entails prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. In Australia, floods have been happening now and then and they have imposed substantial social, economic and environmental costs on the Australian communities. The cost incurred involves the damage of the residential, educational, cultural and commercial buildings (Van den Honert & McAneney, 2014). The infrastructure such as roads, railways and has significantly been affected over the years creating additional budget for the government and relevant authorities. There are also deaths of people and animals, outbreaks of diseases, destruction of plants hence proving that flooding is lethal in the Australian environment. In terms of the economic costs, the Australian community has been adversely affected. For instance, in 2009, the bureau of transport economics approximated that $420 million per annum were allocated to the relevant authorities in attempt to mitigate the floods (CSIRO, 2014). The Australian government has not been keen in ensuring that flood emergency response is up to date and that why huge costs are involved in terms of repair, death and damage. For instance, the recent flooding that took place in Queensland took the lives of 35 people and over 200000 people were affected severely. The Australian community has been suffering in the merciless hands of floods and still there are authorities that would help alleviate the situation. For instance, in January 2011 Queensland experienced two major floods, which had devastating impact on the area. The first one was a flash flood and it occurred on a Monday afternoon in the city of Toowoomba and the Lockyer valley (Eliot, 2012). The flood was characterized by heavy storms that were 40-50mm in a span of minutes. The flood caused massive damage on the streets and since people were not aware. The flood was considerable strong, the creeks were unable to hold the water, and finally the banks were destroyed. The meteorological department was aware of the flooding but they did not notify the civilian. Lives and property worth millions was destroyed hence affirming that the flood emergency response in Australia is inefficient (Marks, 2011). The second flood took place on 13 January because of a dam release in Wivenhoe and it flooded the city of Brisbane and the outskirts. There were clear signs that the flooding would take place since the water level in the river are approximately 3.50 but it had risen to approximately 4.46. The flooding response team in conjunction with the meteorological department would have taken measures to ensure that they prevent deaths that resulted from the incidence. The floods lead to evacuation of 3600 homes while more than 15000 properties were inundated. Moreover, the Red Cross was doing a better job than the flood response system in Australia since it accommodated 12000 people in more than thirty-four evacuation centers (Mason, 2012). This shows that the Red Cross is usually more prepared compared to the Australian flood system. The flood affected more than200, 000 people, approximately 3570 businesses premises were inundated, and the commercial loses totaled to approximately $4billion. The mining and agricultural sector was the most affected. In as much as flooding is a natural disaster and people can do little about it, it is worth noting that the metrological teams have ability and know how to sense when these epidemics are approaching and advise the relevant ministries accordingly. When people are effectively informed, they would have been able to escape some of the serious damages that happened due to misinformation (Sharma & Franks, 2013). After the extensive flooding, the Queensland authorities announced an independent commission of inquiry that would look into the flood disaster. The terms of reference of the inquiry was investigating the factors behind the development of the floods, response and the impact that the flood had to the immediate society. After the inquiry carried out the research, they affirmed that there was inadequate preparation amongst the flood emergency response in Australia and most of the deaths and damages are attributed to unpreparedness. The response from all levels of the government is not appropriate and restructuring is inevitable (Sene, 2013).Moreover, the supply of the essential services during the floods was not adequate and this worsened the situation. The early warning that were supposed to be given concerning Toowoomba and the Lockyer valley were not adequate and this explains why many people many people ended up perishing in the flood accidents. The inquiry explained weaknesses related to the system and they gave approximately 175 recommendations that would change the state of the flood emergency response in Australia (Sharma & Franks, 2013). The flood emergency response should cover prevention, and intervention. However, the Australian emergency response has not managed to cover the two vital tasks effectively. The flow of high volumes of water in the fresh and marine water collections has influenced the environment negatively. The contamination such as sediments and pesticides has lead to marine life violation such as Moreton Bay, the great sand y and the great reef marine parks. The mangrove habitats have been affected severely and all this is attributed to the inefficiency of the Australian flood response (Sharma & Franks, 2013). They should investigate the impacts that flooding would cause and enhance appropriate measures. For instance, the pesticide contaminants should be removed from the vicinity of water bodies and through that, they would be able eliminate the dangers of flooding. The inefficiency of the Australian flood emergency response has resulted in enormous economic impact for the last forty years. The coal exports have been highly hampered terming it as one of the biggest casualties in the country. The mines have continually been shut and many people are losing their jobs and lives in the process (Marks, 2011). The authorities have not been in forming the people in advance and many loses have been increased and more especially in the mining sector. Lives are lost and this adds to the inefficiency of the system. The flood response system has forgotten the wildlife. Wildlife is part of the Australian nationals since the animals bring billions of dollars to the country. The floods have continued to kill some of the animals and yet the authorities have not taken substantial initiative to ensure that the situation is alleviated. For instance, the recent floods have devastating impact on the Queensland landscape and the natural ecosystem was destroyed largely. It is reported that many species of animals have died because of the floods and this gives the authorities a good reason to intervene. Some animals are that few in number should also be included in the flood response and taken to safer zoos and orphanages. These actions will try to save the few animals that are part of the Australian heritage. Therefore, the Australian flood response should take that initiative and save the animals since that will save the country from losing the cherished animals and which is part of national’s heritage(Wildlife Queensland, 2014.) Conclusion In conclusion, the Australian flood response system is inadequate in terms of prevention, sustenance and intervention. Appropriate measures should be enhanced to ensure that people do not lose their property and lives. Creating a good team that predicts and intervenes appropriately makes it easy for people to manage such disasters. References Van den Honert, R. C., & McAneney, J. M. (2014). The 2011 Brisbane Floods:Retrieved September 9, 2014, from http://www.riskfrontiers.com/pdf/water-03-01149.pdf CSIRO, C. (2014.). CSIRO. Understanding the causes and impacts of flooding. Retrieved September 9, 2014, from http://www.csiro.au/Outcomes/Environment/Australian-Landscapes/Understanding-Floods.aspx Eliot, M. (2012). Sea level variability influencing coastal flooding in the Swan River region, Western Australia. Continental Shelf Research, 33, 14-28. Etten, E. J., & Vellekoop, S. E. (2009). Response of fringing vegetation to flooding and discharge of hypersaline water at Lake Austin, Western Australia. Hydrobiologia, 626(1), 67-77. Marks, K. (2011, January 10). Australia flooding racks up a hefty bill.(World). The Christian Science Monitor, 2, 15. Mason, P. (2012). Floods. Mankato, MN: Smart Apple Media. Sene, K. (2013). Flash floods forecasting and warning. Dordrecht: Springer. Sharma, V., & Franks, D. M. (2013). In Situ Adaptation to Climatic Change: Mineral Industry Responses to Extreme Flooding Events in Queensland, Australia. Society & Natural Resources, 26(11), 1252-1267. Vojinovici, Z., & Abbott, M. B. (2012). Flood risk and social justice From quantitative to qualitative flood risk assessment and mitigation. London: IWA Publishing. Wildlife Queensland. (2014.). Wildlife Queensland - Environmental Impact of Floods. Wildlife Queensland - Environmental Impact of Floods. Retrieved September 9, 2014, from http://www.wildlife.org.au/news/2011/flooding5.html Brochure for Flood emergency response in Australia Australia has been facing the challenge of flood for the last forty years. People, animals and plants have perished through the disastrous moments hence describing floods as an epidemic that faces the country now and then. The most affected areas are Queensland, Brisbane and the outskirts of these areas. The country has experienced different types of flood but flash flood has been the most frequent and dangerous. The mountain and coastal rivers also flood though it is during the onset of flooding. Considering, the past and the present, it is evident that the Australian flood emergency response is not adequate and more efforts should be enhanced to ensure that no more lives are lost because of flooding. It is shameful that even a country like Australia is not able to overcome some minor challenges like flood. For instance, during the previous flood that took place in 2011, it has reported that approximately 35 people lost their lives. Australia has not started facing floods today, and this has happened over a period of more than 40 years. Therefore, a flood happening one day and killing hundreds indicates an escalated level of mediocrity. Inquiries have been put in put in place for years and years, but the government and the relevant authorities have never put in place or implemented the recommendations. In the 21st century, people to dying because of mere floods indicate that there are people who are not doing their work. A flood is not comparable to Katrina or a tornado. However, when these disasters happen in countries like America and Asia, they are able to notify their citizens before hence avoiding deaths. The meteorological centre in Australia should work hand in hand with flood emergency response so that whenever the flood appears to be coming, they can notify the people to avoid deaths. For the case of Queensland, the meteorological department gave warnings only four hours before the actual flood. The duration was so little such a way that the people would not have managed to evacuate and take their precious belongings. Consequently, many people perished as well as the authorities. However, the flood emergency response in Australia thinks that they are working well enough. They have been allocated specialists who are trained in the field. Moreover, the government has allocated the department funds to ensure that in case of a flood, they have what it takes to overcome the challenge. Their efforts should be coupled with the efforts of the citizens to ensure that it is effective. For instance, when a case of flooding is mentioned, people should obey and move to higher grounds where they cannot perish. Many people have perished because they have ignored the voice of the government. Moreover, the meteorology department should work hand in hand with department to ensure that the civilians are informed appropriately in case of floods. When there is information, people, the emergency department will ultimately manage the situation, and cases of death will be minimized. Read More