Flood Lessons Pt 1 – Housing Development

The recent flood rains have once again reminded us of the need to have a proper land development system.  It is obvious to anyone who takes the time to observe that people are building houses in areas that are not suitable for occupying.  They are living on gully banks, river banks and low lying areas near rivers.  The reason why we need such a system is so that we can reduce the amount of damage that is done and the disruption to people’s lives.

All housing developments need to be properly approved and part of that process should be an analysis of the topography of the area.  That is, is it an area prone to flooding, land slides, fires, etc?  By understanding the risks one can assess the viability of building in that area.  Not only is it important to know if the construction site is viable but it is also vital to determine what effect that development may have on other areas.  Many times the rain water from one area is simply diverted to another area or uses another area’s drain system.  This results in an overload of the drain system and floods the area.  Any housing development must have a proper system of drainage prior to being approved.

In addition there needs to be better enforcement of building codes to ensure that the rules are observed especially regarding construction practices given that we live in an earthquake zone.  If floods are bringing down walls and buildings then imagine what an earthquake will do.  Many persons build or extend their houses and divert or block drains preventing the run off of water and the possible flooding of other areas.  Building on gully banks is not only a danger to the persons living there but can also damage the walls of the gully.  Many persons are building two storey houses on single storey foundations and this will spell disaster in the event of an earthquake.

It is true that many persons simply can not afford to buy a house but it is also true that many can afford to build based on the huge houses constructed by squatters. People build on captured lands because they have limited choices in terms of available lands. The government needs to devise a way in which more persons can have access to affordable lots providing them with the opportunity to build on their own land.

The situation that we find ourselves in is not an easy one to resolve that is why it is always better to prevent the breaches before they occur and it is the reason that we elect governments to enforce those rules.