Hazards/Threats

Iran Heavy rains, in combination with drought-degraded soil, resulted in flash flooding in three provinces of northeastern Iran. Over 200 deaths have been reported, with flood-related losses affecting more than 1 million people, mostly in the hardest hit province, Golestan (OCHA).

United States It has been a near-normal summer wildfire season in the Western United States, however, the National Interagency Coordination Center Wildland Fire 60-Day Outlook issued on 12 August indicated that persistent dry conditions and record high temperatures in New England and the Great Lakes states have left those regions with an increased fire potential. According to the outlook, "the dry winter and multiple year drought conditions has left much of the western US at risk to wildland fire."

Sudan Following two consecutive years of serious drought, extensive floods in northern Sudan have displaced tens of thousands of people, destroyed crops and aggravated the already precarious food supply situation in the affected areas. Heavy rains in the Blue Nile catchment areas in the Ethiopian highlands caused an overflow of the Nile river and submerged many villages and settlements. Water levels in the Nile are reported to be higher than those of 1988, when the river burst its banks causing massive destruction. Worst affected areas are northern and eastern parts along the Nile, including areas around the capital city Khartoum. South Darfur State has also suffered from flash floods due to torrential rains. FAO

Health

United States At least 4 people died of hyperthermia in New York during a heatwave that covered large parts of the country. In the Northeast and Midwest, at least 22 deaths were also attributed to excessive heat as temperatures reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (Reuters Health).

Venezuela A dengue epidemic has been declared in 14 of the 23 federal states of Venezuela with more than 24,000 cases and 3 deaths, surpassing the 21,101 cases reported for all of 2000. The start of the rainy season is believed to be the main cause of the epidemic and the recent introduction of dengue virus serotype 3 into a population previously not exposed to this serotype. This year's water rationing in the main cities is also believed to have contributed to the outbreak as many containers for water collection abound, serving as potential mosquito reservoirs (ProMED (1) ProMED (2) ProMED (3)).

Cambodia The threat of water-borne diseases remains high as water sanitation conditions have deteriorated due to recent flooding in the Mekong River basin (IFRC).

Sri Lanka With 21 months of continued drought in Sri Lanka's southern region, doctors warn of increased levels of anemia and malnutrition among children. The loss of 4 successive crops has left many families surviving on only 50% of their usual nutritional intake (IFRC).

Sudan Recent flooding in northern Sudan has left thousands without shelter and at risk of water- and mosquito-borne diseases (IFRC).

Water Resources/Energy

Brazil The federal government was forced to impose a tough energy rationing plan in June to avoid crippling California-style blackouts, ordering consumers to knock off 20 percent of their average electricity consumption, and imposing penalties for those who did not comply. The rationing is due to last at least until November, when the rainy season is expected to partly refill the reservoirs which have been affected by persistent drought. Brazil relies on hydroelectric plants for over 90 percent of its power. Experts say the crisis was also caused by years of underinvestment and poor planning in the energy sector. In the northeast region, the 28 billion cubic meter Sobradinho reservoir on the Sao Francisco river was only 16.4 percent full. Neighboring regions now provide 25 percent of the semi-arid northeast's needs. A special government plan is in place if reservoirs dry up further; the government would resort to tougher power consumption limits, then cut the work week to four days and only as a last resort introduce controlled blackouts. As of now, reservoirs in the northeastern region are still 0.8 percentage points above the minimum levels. In the rest of the affected regions, water levels are 2 percentage points higher than minimum levels. Any sharp fall below the official level might trigger the introduction of the backup plan, officials have said (Reuters).

Sri Lanka A severe drought in the southern part of Sri Lanka over the past 21 months has caused a depletion of reservoirs and ground-water sources. The low reservoir levels have led to power outages, as the country depends on hydropower for 60 percent of its electricity supply. There is also a shortage of irrigation and drinking water (Reuters). A Question and Answer page on the climatological background to the drought in Southern Sri Lanka is available at http://iri.columbia.edu/~lareef/wcsl/hambantota.html .

New Zealand Ongoing rainfall deficits in the South Island of New Zealand have placed extreme pressure on hydroelectricity generation. Much of New Zealand's electricity comes from hydropower plants in western areas of the South Island, a region that normally receives very high rainfall. According to the New Zealand Energy Minister, a 10 percent savings in electricity over a 10-week period should allow the country to overcome the crisis, but poor weather hindered the electricity conservation effort (New Zealand Press Association).

Agriculture

Tajikistan Longstanding problems in Tajikistan's agricultural sector have combined with the ongoing regional drought in southwest Asia, resulting in severe crop shortfalls and a second year of serious food deficits ( FAO, IFRC).

Thailand Heavy rains in the Indo-China peninsula resulted in more than 200,000 hectares of crop damage in Thailand (Reuters).

Cambodia The Indo-China flooding destroyed more than 200,000 hectares of cropland in Cambodia (OCHA).

Iran The severe drought in southwest Asia has caused severe damage both to crops and natural vegetation. Damage to agriculture and livestock in Iran is estimated at US $2.6 billion, affecting over 8 million acres of cropland and orchards. The degraded soil has increased the severity of flash floods and severe flooding in north-eastern Iran resulted in losses of more than US $13 million in agriculture and livestock (OCHA, OCHA).

Central America The threat of widespread food shortages continues as a result of extensive crop losses in the region stemming from three months of drought. In the four worst-hit countries, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, over 1.4 million people have been affected, and approximately 740,000 acres of corn, rice, and beans have been destroyed, according to the World Food Programme (WFP) and an AP report. As of 24 August, of the 16,500 metric tons of food aid WFP said would be required for Central America, only 4,800 metric tons had been pledged (OCHA). On 3 September, the government of Guatemala declared "El Estado de Calamidad Pública" due to food shortages (OCHA).

The IRI Net Assessment Forecast for the September-November period indicates a slightly enhanced probability of below-normal precipitation for southern Mexico and Guatemala.

Sri Lanka Twenty one months of continued drought in Sri Lanka's southern region have led to the loss of four successive crops. Paddy and highland crops have been particularly affected (IFRC).