page 330
modification. Much of Asia's vital food-growing areas lie in easily flooded, open delta lands along the sea coast and so any substantial change in weather patterns could have potentially disastrous effects. It is estimated that as much as 25% of the water required for Asian paddy fields and reservoirs comes from typhoons, and so it seems better to have typhoon damage than to have no typhoons at all. For example, in the autumn of 1974, Hong Kong residents were warned to prepare themselves for water rationing. The reservoirs were very low because of a long drought. The outlook was bad, but then two typhoons in a month provided Hong Kong's reservoirs with 22 billion gallons of water.
Since typhoons cannot be prevented, the best that can be done is to develop typhoon warning systems, such as the one in Hong Kong itself. In 1975, a number of other Asian nations requested typhoon predictions from Hong Kong and a computer now helps in the preparation of these valuable forecasts.
Prediction is not the only important issue, however. For the community to be prepared for a typhoon is as important as a warning. Countries are now encouraged to create their own national disaster organisations, which will respond to emergencies with temporary housing, food, medical aid and communications. People in vulnerable coastal villages are being taught how to build large safety mounds higher than the flood level in order to protect themselves against flooding.
Dostları ilə paylaş: |
