Cholera Cases Spike Amid Extreme Weather, Conflict

Cyclone Freddy, one of the longest-lasting tropical cyclones ever recorded, carved a treacherous path in Mozambique last month that underscored the vulnerability of the world’s poorest to climate disruption, displacement, and disease — and not just once but twice.

The long-lived storm came ashore in Zambezia province on March 11, the second time in two weeks that Freddy made landfall in the southern African country. High waters flooded homes, wrecked villages, cut power, destroyed healthcare facilities, and made rural roads impassable.

The displaced and newly homeless gathered in crowded shelters often with unsanitary conditions, said Christine Beasley, Mozambique country director for CARE International, a nonprofit aid agency. Latrines that were not designed for hundreds of people soon overflowed.

“And then the water sources get contaminated,” Beasley said. “And they’re just drinking and using contaminated water.”

It is a recipe for disease outbreaks, and that is what occurred. A surge in cholera cases hit Mozambique, centered on the provinces where Freddy made landfall. As of April 19, there were 27,353 suspected cholera cases reported in the country.

Forest to MI Faucet: Using Trees to Keep Water Sources Pristine

A forest expert at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is putting together a program to use trees to help keep sources of drinking water cleaner. 

Forests slow water down. When intense rains hit, trees can help reduce rapid runoff which can wash dirt into streams and lakes. The shade from trees cools the water which is becoming more critical as climate change is warming lakes and streams. Forests floors also filter water, helping to keep it clean. 

From the Archives: 

Constant, Compounding Disasters Are Exhausting Emergency Response

The acceleration of disaster is repeating worldwide, in part because vulnerable people and developments are encroaching on hazardous terrain. Landslides in the unstable Himalaya mountains in recent years have demolished newly built hydropower stations and killed hundreds, including more than 200 dead or missing in February from the Chamoli disaster. But the acceleration is also occurring because a supercharged climate is churning up more powerful hurricanes, more punishing droughts, more oppressive heat waves — altogether more environmental and water-related risk.

Circle of Blue brings our readers to the front lines of the biggest stories around the most important issue on the planet: The world’s water. 

Just as water is central to life, your support is vital to what we do. 

Please support our nonprofit journalism today.