South Africa recently implemented a youth-led project aimed at enhancing flood resilience. The Water from a Rock initiative which operates by geofencing app to alert users entering high-risk zones, was developed by the YouthMappers from the University of Pretoria to raise awareness, increase flood preparedness among the youth, and map vulnerable communities.
Flooding is one of Africa’s deadliest natural disasters, and the vulnerability was made apparent during the recent flooding events. According to the State of Global Water Resources 2023 report, the collapse of two dams during floods in Libya in 2023 resulted in the tragic loss of over 11,000 lives.
Flooding also severely impacted the Horn of Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Malawi, claiming more than 1,600 additional lives. Southern Africa faced its share of devastation as well, with catastrophic floods hitting Durban and nearby regions in April 2022, leading to over 440 fatalities. The same region experienced another round of severe flooding in June 2024, causing significant destruction and loss of life.
During the devastating floods in southern Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape in June 2024, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala expressed profound concern over the extensive damage and human suffering. He described the floods as a “catastrophe of enormous proportions,” highlighting the severe impacts on communities, infrastructure, and lives.
The initiative developed by the YouthMappers promises to improve preparedness in event of a flood. YouthMappers developed a survey to assess the level of awareness among students with regard to floods. Based on the gathered data, they developed and distributed awareness packages containing useful information on flood alerts, emergency protocols and contacts, aiming to educate the community on what to do in case of flood.
As a second step, YouthMappers mapped the area around the Umgeni River and Tongaat, affected by a tornado in June 2023.
The focus was on mapping emergency response routes, waterways, and infrastructure. A flood risk assessment was carried out to evaluate the extent of damage caused by floods in various scenarios, such as floods caused by tropical cyclones and tornados, and a cut-off low weather system was carried out. Finally, an application prototype was developed to notify users entering high-risk areas. The app allows users to be notified of the flood risk level when entering a geofenced area.
The youth-led project will shift its focus toward pinpointing and marking additional high-risk areas across South Africa to enhance the notification system. This ongoing initiative strives to continuously map flood-prone regions to help local communities better prepare for potential future disasters.
