Getting the full picture of the KZN floods

Prof Hope Magidimisha-Chipungu of the University of KwaZulu-Natal and an expert in urban planning explains why the KZN floods are so devastating and what can be done to deal with damaging weather events.

"The devastation caused by the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, demonstrates again that the country is not moving fast enough to adopt appropriate urban planning. It should be integrating risk assessment and management in the design and development of cities. This is becoming more urgent as the frequency of floods increases.

Most South African cities were built a long time ago, before climate change was predicted. KZN experienced flooding in July 2016, May 2017, October 2017, March 2019, April 2019, November 2019, November 2020, April 2023, June 2023, and now in January 2024. South Africa has a comprehensive national climate change adaptation strategy, and the authorities are aware of flood damage, but are not able to keep up with the repairs.

I recently edited a book on inclusive cities [Urban inclusivity in Southern Africa] in which I write about the way South Africa has dealt with natural disasters. There is a lack of risk-informed urban planning. This is an approach to designing and developing urban areas with risk in mind. It aims to create resilient cities that can withstand and adapt to various hazards and challenges, such as natural disasters, climate change and social vulnerabilities.

SA CITIES ARE NOT RESILIENT

The devastation caused by the recent floods indicates lack of resilience and increasing social vulnerabilities. More than 45 people have died in the last two months; more than 250 homes have been severely damaged. Severe flooding and landslides caused by heavy rainfall caused the deaths of at least 459 people in April 2022. These floods displaced over 40,000 people, destroyed over 12,000 houses, and left 45,000 people temporarily unemployed.