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Flood impact assessment and proposals for improved flood management in Keimoes, South Africa

Nilsson, Erik LU (2012) In TVVR12/5019 VVR820 20121
Division of Water Resources Engineering
Abstract
This study assesses the impacts of the floods in early 2011 in the Northern Cape Province in
South Africa and focuses especially on the small town Keimoes located on the major Orange
River. During this period 33 municipalities in 7 out of the country’s 8 provinces were
declared as disaster areas due to widespread flooding. In Keimoes and the Northern Cape
Province the flood impacts were widespread with severe effects on agriculture, infrastructure
and local livelihoods. As agriculture is widespread along the Orange River in the region this
sector was especially affected. The fact that the floods hit during harvesting time meant that
the agricultural sector besides damages to land and infrastructure also suffered large crop
losses.... (More)
This study assesses the impacts of the floods in early 2011 in the Northern Cape Province in
South Africa and focuses especially on the small town Keimoes located on the major Orange
River. During this period 33 municipalities in 7 out of the country’s 8 provinces were
declared as disaster areas due to widespread flooding. In Keimoes and the Northern Cape
Province the flood impacts were widespread with severe effects on agriculture, infrastructure
and local livelihoods. As agriculture is widespread along the Orange River in the region this
sector was especially affected. The fact that the floods hit during harvesting time meant that
the agricultural sector besides damages to land and infrastructure also suffered large crop
losses. This study shows that the flood emergency walls in this area were in a very poor
condition at the time of the flood and many of them broke and failed to hold up for the high
flows of the flood. Information about the upcoming floods was insufficient in some areas
which resulted in several communities being poorly prepared. Management of dams upstream
in the catchment area came up as a main aspect and data presented here points to the
conclusion that flood reduction is prioritized unjustifiably low in dam management. However,
given the complexity of this issue and the limitations of this study, more analysis would have
to be done on the matter before a new dam management framework can be recommended.
The facts and argumentations in this study however justify that such analysis with all its cost
and resource implications are initiated. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Nilsson, Erik LU
supervisor
organization
course
VVR820 20121
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Floods, vulnerability assessment, South Africa, Kai!garib Municipality, flood emergency walls, dam management
publication/series
TVVR12/5019
report number
12/5019
ISSN
1101-9824
language
English
additional info
Examiner: Linus Zhang
id
2971519
date added to LUP
2012-08-17 13:48:08
date last changed
2019-03-29 09:28:11
@misc{2971519,
  abstract     = {{This study assesses the impacts of the floods in early 2011 in the Northern Cape Province in
South Africa and focuses especially on the small town Keimoes located on the major Orange
River. During this period 33 municipalities in 7 out of the country’s 8 provinces were
declared as disaster areas due to widespread flooding. In Keimoes and the Northern Cape
Province the flood impacts were widespread with severe effects on agriculture, infrastructure
and local livelihoods. As agriculture is widespread along the Orange River in the region this
sector was especially affected. The fact that the floods hit during harvesting time meant that
the agricultural sector besides damages to land and infrastructure also suffered large crop
losses. This study shows that the flood emergency walls in this area were in a very poor
condition at the time of the flood and many of them broke and failed to hold up for the high
flows of the flood. Information about the upcoming floods was insufficient in some areas
which resulted in several communities being poorly prepared. Management of dams upstream
in the catchment area came up as a main aspect and data presented here points to the
conclusion that flood reduction is prioritized unjustifiably low in dam management. However,
given the complexity of this issue and the limitations of this study, more analysis would have
to be done on the matter before a new dam management framework can be recommended.
The facts and argumentations in this study however justify that such analysis with all its cost
and resource implications are initiated.}},
  author       = {{Nilsson, Erik}},
  issn         = {{1101-9824}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{TVVR12/5019}},
  title        = {{Flood impact assessment and proposals for improved flood management in Keimoes, South Africa}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}