Prof Michelle Mycoo

Climate scientists who have been studying climate change for over three decades agree that the planet is warming and events such as flooding are being worsened by human activities. We used to say that we cannot take one extreme event and attribute it to climate change. However, we now know with greater certainty that climate change is worsening our weather.

In Trinidad, rainfall over several days in November 2022 brought floods, not just to flood prone areas, but to other places where flooding was uncommon. Economic costs to households, farmers and other business operators were enormous. Many citizens wonder whether climate change is responsible for these floods. As a society we must have hope that there are actions which can alleviate impacts such as flooding.

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Land use and land cover changes resulting from urbanisation, built development on hillsides or flood plains, agricultural activity on steep slopes, deforestation due to squatting or bush fires, wetland removal, inadequate drainage and solid waste management, are examples of human activity which contribute to the devastating floods we experience.

Nearly half (46 per cent) of the lands suitable for agriculture were converted to housing between 1984 and 2012. This resulted in more concretised surface areas which contributed to rapid surface water runoff and floods. In addition, squatters have encroached on watersheds and coastal lands which are prone to flooding. Approximately 55,000 households occupy state lands, and an additional 30,000 households are on such private lands (Rajack and Frojmovic, 2016). Illegal land occupation in ecologically fragile zones is incentivised by the existing law of adverse possession and regularisation policies (Toppin-Allahar, 2001). Additionally, approved private sector and state housing occur on hillsides and poorly drained clay soils trigger flooding.

Strengthened governance capacity is important to minimise flooding and build resilience. It involves adopting an integrated approach to building, land use and planning, and ecosystem management.

New designs are recommended to reduce flood impacts by ensuring that the floor levels of houses are above recorded flood levels. Traditional building design using stilts in flood prone areas should be revisited. Moreover, the future siting and design of housing should be informed by a rigorous assessment of coastal hazards such as storm surges, a revised building code, and revised setbacks for new structures being built on the coast. Shelters should be built in locations that are safe from flooding to ensure public safety.

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Closer collaboration between the Drainage Division and the Town and Country Planning Division is urged in selecting sites for building retention ponds. Drainage engineers should also build a stronger relationship with local government bodies responsible for drain