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IRI Climate Digest  August 2000

Climate Impacts 

Hazards/Threats

India  Heavy summer monsoon rains caused extensive flooding and some landslides in 11 states.  Especially hard hit was the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh where the flooding was considered the worst in 50 years.  Over 160 fatalities were reported along with damages estimated at 168 million USD.  (OCHA)  (ReliefWeb)

Western United States  The worst fire season in 50 years continued across several western states, enhanced by unusually hot and dry conditions.  Over 80 fires have burned more than 1.4 million acres.  So far in 2000 fires have burned over 5.6 million acres in the US as a whole - more than double the 10 year average. (DRO) ,  National Interagency Fire Center

Cambodia, Vietnam  The early onset of a vigorous summer monsoon has led to widespread flooding along the Mekong River.   Although flooding is common in the region during summer, the early onset of rainfall led to flooding up to 40 days earlier than usual.  (OCHA) (ReliefWeb)

Brazil  Several days of very heavy rain triggered mudslides in northeastern Brazil.  The states of Pernambuco and Alagoas were affected most. Heavy rains during August are not common to the area which is usually in the midst of its dry season.  (OCHA)
 

Health

Brazil  The northeastern Brazilian state of Permanbuco has confirmed
433 cases of leptospirosis with 29 deaths, including 150 cases and 18
deaths in the capital city of Recife.  This area has received torrential
rainfall and flooding.  Leptospirosis is carried in rat and dog urine,
which during floods may spread into drinking water, mud and vegetation.  (ProMED)

United States  One death and at least 9 other confirmed cases due to tularemia, a bacterial infection, have occurred on Martha's Vineyard since June 2000.  The disease is usually transmitted from rabbits and other rodents to humans through dog tick bites, direct contact with infected animals, ingestion of contaminated water or inadequately cooked meat, or inhalation of particles.  An unusually moist summer may have contributed to the sharp increase in tularemia as the bacteria persist longer in damp weather.  The last tularemia outbreak in the Vineyard occurred in the 1970s.  (ProMed)

South Asia  An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis has killed at least 53
people in Nepal during the last 4 months, and sickened over 500.  This
viral brain infection is transmitted by mosquitoes that breed during the
summer and rainy seasons.  In India, water-borne diseases are responsible for 19 deaths due to flooding in the northeastern state of Assam.  (ReliefWeb, ProMed)

Uzbekistan  Protracted drought conditions have led to the rapid deterioration of health and sanitary conditions in many parts of the country.  Tests of running water in some locations has indicated a doubling in the E coli rate, and the occurrence of diarrheal diseases has reportedly greatly increased.  (OCHA) (ReliefWeb)
 

Water Resources

Kenya, Tanzania  Diminishing water levels in reservoirs serving Kenya's hydroelectric dams have forced the government to continue with drastic power cuts to conserve water resources.   In neighboring Tanzania, the government is looking to expand its thermal power electrical output in order to avert power rationing due to a shortage of rains.  (Power Marketing Assoc.)

Southern United States  A continued lack of substantial rainfall has led several communities in Texas, Louisianna and Florida to implement water use restrictions.  As of the end of August, some locations in northern Texas had not received any rain at all for more than 60 connsecutive days.
 

Agriculture

Uzbekistan, Georgia  Severe drought conditions have caused much of the rice crop in Uzbekistan to fail, and there is inadequate water at present for the winter wheat crop.  In eastern regions of Georgia, the drought has damaged a significant portion of the wheat and sunflower crops as well as winter pasturelands.  (OCHA) 

Southeast Europe  A continued lack of significant rainfall has delayed the planting of fall crops due to low topsoil moisture.  The lack of rain, combined with unusually high temperatures has stressed summer crops across much of Romania, Yugoslavia and Bulagaria.  (JAWF)

Kenya  Despite above average August rainfall in portions of western and central Kenya, a continued lack of significant rainfall elsewhere continues to greatly stress crops, causing some to fail completely.  Overall crop yields have been reduced dramatically and more than 6,000 farmers were reported to have invaded parts of the Kenyan national reserve in order to find land with enough soil moisture to cultivate crops.   (IFRC)  (ReliefWeb)

Sahelian Africa  Reduced rainfall affected crop development in most parts of Niger, western Mali and portions of Senegal.  Improved rains are needed in these areas to avoid water stress or crop failure.  (FAO)

United States  Very hot and dry weather from the central and southern Plains to the lower Mississippi Valley severely stressed pastures and immature summer crops.  Record high temperatures - in some locations exceeding 43 C - were reported in several locations during the month, while precipitation was the lowest on record for the states of Texas and Oklahoma.  (JAWF, CPC)
 

Fisheries

Due to the high percentage of anchovy stock at a critical stage in reproduction, a seasonal ban on fishing for anchovy for the month of August was enacted in Peru.  Anchovy populations off of the coast of Peru were significantly reduced during the last El Nino event.
 
Material for this portion of the IRI Climate Information Digest has been extracted from the UN/OCHA Reliefweb (RW), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Doctors Without Borders (DWB), Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) , USDA/NOAA Joint Agricultural Weather Facility (JAWF) and the Fishmeal Exporters Organization. Additional information was obtained from the NOAA/OGP Climate Information Program, Red Cross/CNN/IBM Disaster Relief, Earth Alert, CNN, and the Power Marketing Association PMA

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