Greenhouse gasses are causing shifts in rainfall patterns, leading to summers like this one (so far the wettest since records began). Just to make things more complicated, this heavier precipitation is going to alternate with hot summers like last year, but in entirely unpredictable ways.
Aside from focussing on the root cause of all of this I think it’s time to do some better planning around water use. Perhaps every new build should have mandatory rainwater storage for grey use (toilets etc.) All of those tanks would provide a buffer during heavy rain fall that would lessen run off and thus flooding and save water in dry spells. Whilst we’re about it, how about fines for the fools who concrete over their gardens and/or rewards for anyone who rips the paving up and plants a lawn.
Neither of these measures woudl stop flooding, particularly with water volume such as that seen in the last week, but they could soak up overflow in lesser events, and cut the burden on reservoirs.
Technorati tag: EcoHouse
I totally agree that more needs to be done to try to minimise the effect of heavy rainfall and flooding. More needs to be done before rather than after the event.
In parts of Asia, like the Philippines, the monsoon rains have come late after a dry spell which have caused water supply problems. When the rains did come, too much water came in too late, and floodings were widespread. Much of the crop products were decimated as a result, either from the previous drought or from excessive flooding and erosion. Since we are already experiencing these things, it pays to prepare next year and the coming years.
Global warming has already changed world’s rainfall patterns: study: http://www.thenewsroom.com/details/523169?c_id=wom-bc-ar
– Alvin from TheScienceDesk at TheNewsRoom.com