Name: Oabile Moeng
Grade: 12C
Subject: Geography
Research Assignment Term 2
Topic: Climate And Weather
Introduction
City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality is an area in the Gauteng province of
South Africa. Just like all the other areas in the world, it has been through natural
disasters, specifically floods. Floods are a destructive overflow of water way above
its normal level/limits more especially over land. This type of natural disaster is
caused commonly by heavy rainfall over a period of time, rapid snowmelt, tsunami
in coastal regions and storm surges from tropical cyclones. Floods can cause global
devastation, resulting in death, severe damage to infrastructure and prevents access
to public and basic services like healthcare and housing
SOURCE: Google Images
Hypothesis:
Heavy rain and floods on the bridges of Tshwane and the roads in Johannesburg
impact residents negatively by causing traffic jams, putting the lives of citizens at
risk and causing misfits on the roads. These can lead to many issues on the road
including major accidents causing severe injuries and possibly even death. Floods
have caused a variety of issues in the community for instance, the spreadingoof
water related diseases like cholera, typhoid fever and malaria. Floods also prevent
access to vital public services. These are just a few factors that have had a negative
impact on the community of Tshwane.
SOURCE: Google Images
Mapping
SOURCE: GOOGLE IMAGES
CITY: CITY OF TSHWANE
PROVINCE: GAUTENG
EXACT COORDINATES: 25.6051° S, 28.3929° E
SCALE OF MAP: 1:25 000cm
Background information
Flooding in the City of Tshwane is connected to the area. The City of Tshwane
Metropolitan Municipality was established on 5 December 2000 through the
combination of various municipalities and councils that had previously served a
greater part of Pretoria area and surrounding areas. As it grew, it reached an
estimated population of 4 million people. This results in an increase in industrial
improvements and industrial issues like pollution which ultimately affect the
climate of the area. This led to an increase in rainfall and ultimately an increase in
floods since the city was established. More than 40 000 people have at least been
affected by floods and several buildings including informal settlements have been
damaged thus far. Today there are a total of 210 informal settlements in Tshwane
in relation to the inner city.
Data collection, analysis and representation of
data
1.) impact of floods in the local areas
Floods are a destructive force that only causes ruin. One of the most significant
impacts of floods is the destruction of homes and personal belongings. This leads
to grief, stress and sadness over the loss of irreplaceable items and built-up
infrastructure. Flooding often results in damage to infrastructure. This can include
damage to important services and infrastructure such as water systems, electricity,
sewerage and telecommunications. A shortage in these services can leave homes in
unsanitary and unsafe conditions, forcing people to evacuate, sometimes for long
periods of time. Roads, railways, and transport services may be affected or
completely closed in serious floods and often part of the road and supporting
infrastructure such as traffic lights can be washed away or damaged. Repairs to
infrastructure can extend over long periods, causing great public inconvenience
and expense. Furthermore, buildings which offer essential public services
including schools, hospitals, government offices, aged care facilities and day care
centres can be affected by isolation, as surrounding areas are flooded. These
services may be limited which can greatly impact the community which relies on
them.
2) City of Tshwane on high alert as heavy rainfall continuously pours leading to
concerns of flooding
The City of Tshwane specifically Mamelodi on high alert as heavy rainfall
continuously pours leading to concerns of flooding. Flooding can lead to loss of
life and even damage to road infrastructure, for example: traffic lights. This is a
warning to citizens, of the possible danger of the upcoming issue.
3) An interview conducted with a flood survivor, sharing their experiences
This interview was conducted back in 2019. It is an interview between a reporter and a
flood survivor as she dives into some of the problems they encountered before, during and
after the flood. The interviewee speaks mainly on one of the effects of floods, which is
damage to infrastructure, which they personally experienced.
Recommendations and Possible Solutions
There are various possible recommendations and solutions that can help prepare
and hopefully prevent floods in the city of Tshwane. Firstly, the most obvious
solution is completely relocating to areas that are less prone to experience flooding.
Construct budlings above flood levels, this method is commonly used in Britain
where they construct their building 1 meter above the ground to prevent heavy
impact of flooding. Developing a flood recovery plan can help you take immediate
action to reduce the impact of flood events on your property. With higher land,
water doesn’t drain out so easily. Pumps can be used to speed up the process of
getting water off the streets by transporting the flood water and releasing it back
into the sea. Raising roads and switching to more permeable pavements can help
drain water, limit runoff, and reduce flooding. Preparedness is key, before floods
always store food and clean water in case of severe flooding.
Conclusion
Heavy rainfall and flooding in the City of Tshwane are caused by different factors
that being heavy rainfall over a period of time, rapid snowmelt, tsunami in coastal
regions and storm surges from tropical cyclones. These factors create major issues
like loss of life and destruction of infrastructure and pose a great threat towards the
residents of Tshwane and others around the world. Implementing strategies to help
prevent and avoid such issues can help save lives and ensures a safer place for
people to live in. Furthermore, I accept my statement.
If we put our minds together and work together, we can create a world that is a
little safer for us to live in
Bibliography
• Mitchley, A (2024) news 24, Johannesburg
• Maromo J (2024) iol news, The City of Tshwane
• Dormino M (2021) World Health Organisation, African region
• (2018) The global light of Myanmar, Myanmer
• Garland R (2015) University of Pretoria, Pretoria
• Singh O (2023) Times LIVE, South Africa
