What are the effects of flooding in China?

The Yangtze and Huai rivers broke their banks, likely killing as many as several million people. The aftermath was devastating; deadly waterborne diseases like dysentery and cholera spread quickly, and those who survived faced the threat of starvation.

What are the impacts of floods on health?

Health effects observed during and after floods include injuries, infections, poisoning and greater mental-health problems. Outbreaks of infectious disease are rare. The longer-term health effects result from displacement, shortages of safe water, injuries, disruption of access to health services and delayed recovery.

What is the biggest problem with the Chang Jiang River?

Severe flooding along the Chang Jiang has been documented for nearly 2,000 years. While levees have been used to protect against floods since large-scale settlement began, in many cases they failed due to poor construction and maintenance.

How does flooding affect animals?

How do floods affect animals? Like people, animals can get displaced during a flood. Many animals die during a flood because their habitats have been destroyed. Pests and wild animals such as snakes may migrate to densely populated areas and cause much havoc.

Will China flooding affect food supply?

In 2020, summer floods washed over fields close to the Yangtze River, affecting the major rice-producing provinces, including Hubei, then floods hit crops in two northeastern provinces and typhoons also impacted the corn harvest. Added to this, rising sea levels are threatening farmland along China’s coastline.

What human factor has an impact on the flooding of the Yangtze River?

Furthermore, [11] linked rising and more frequent floods to inappropriate human activity such as deforestation, land reclamation and improper construction of levees on the Yangtze River.

What caused the flood in China?

Several floods struck China starting in June 2021, most of them caused by heavy rainfalls in different areas. According to the World Meteorological Organization, such heavy rains are frequently a result of climate change.

What diseases do floods cause?

Exposure to contaminated floodwater can cause:

  • Wound infections.
  • Skin rash.
  • Gastrointestinal illness.
  • Tetanus.
  • Leptospirosis (not common)

How do floods cause increase in infectious diseases?

The main cause of waterborne diseases during flooding is the contamination of drinking water supply. Floods transport bacteria, parasites, and viruses into the clean water system thus leading to the outbreak of waterborne diseases [5].

What are the effects of pollution in the Yangtze River?

Abstract. Water pollution of the Yangtze River basin is very serious. Studies have shown that from the upper to the lower river, the water volume decreases and development and pollution increase, especially in trans-boundary areas.