Recent research suggests that flooding is causing an increase in hospitalizations for various diseases Audio NewsThis article has been translated using AI. See original Floods Cause Increase in Hospitalizations Due to Various Diseases 00:0000:0010101.00xBy Tatang Mulyana Sinaga 09 Apr 2025 08:30 WIB · English KOMPAS – Floods bring suffering to many people the suffering does not end due to various diseases they cause Recent research reveals that floods lead to an increase in hospitalizations in several countries due to cardiovascular which analyzed 300 million hospitalization records in eight flood-prone countries was led by researchers at Monash University The results were published in the journal Nature Water in April 2025 This finding highlights the importance of anticipating the long-term impacts of flooding considering that floods are occurring more frequently due to climate change The study's author, Prof. Yuming Guo, said an estimated 23 percent of the global population is exposed to flooding. "There will be an increase in the severity, duration and frequency of flooding due to the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events and rising sea levels due to global warming," he said as reported by eurekalert.org Researchers analyzed hospitalization data from 2010 to 2019 They also observed 747 community groups in eight countries that experienced major floods during that period Some of these were located in the northeastern region of New South Wales in Australia along the Amazon River and southern Brazil Guo explained that several impacts of flooding comprehensive research is needed to examine broader health impacts These findings remind us of the importance of anticipating the long-term impacts of flooding given that flooding is becoming more frequent due to climate change “The health impacts of flooding may have been underestimated and will worsen with climate change,” he said The research results indicate an increase in hospitalizations due to various diseases in flood-prone areas such as cardiovascular diseases by 35 percent Floods impact health through contamination of water supply systems This can increase the risk of digestive diseases and facilitate the spread of infectious diseases flooding creates an environment that supports the growth of fungi and vectors such as rats and insects that trigger respiratory Floods often also force large-scale evacuations leaving affected communities living in evacuation centers said that when temporary shelters are provided the lack of sanitation facilities often results in hygiene problems “Access and capacity to health services can be disrupted after flooding This causes delays in routine medical interventions including dialysis for kidney disease A grassroots movement is demanding justice for impacted communities one year after a devastating dam collapse MAB is comprised of communities directly affected by dam projects and fights against the privatization of water natural resources and the displacement of communities MAB coordinated an agenda to draw attention to what happened a year ago and to call for Vale the Brazilian multinational mining corporation responsible for the collapse Individuals from 17 countries across Latin America Beginning with a march and demonstrations in the city of Belo Horizonte on January 20 and then journeying through three of the cities most impacted by the collapse — Pompéu Juatuba and Betim/Citrolândia — participants drew attention to the continuing struggle of those affected and denounced Vale’s water contamination and its impact on the health of communities participants gathered for an international seminar organized by MAB titled: “Profit Does Not Value Life One Year of Vale’s Crime in Brumadinho.” The seminar was held in Citrolândia and included the directly affected as well as the National Confederation of Bishops of Brazil; the Movimiento de Afectados por Represas en Latinoamérica (Movement of People Affected by Dams in Latin America); representatives from national authorities (including a representative from the Chamber of Deputies House of Representatives); and international delegates from 17 countries During the seminar, the directly impacted present were asked to stand, as were the people from the international delegation most of whom have also been affected by dam projects in their respective countries There was a minute of silence for those killed in the dam collapse He called the struggle against Vale a “global fight against an energy model that is anti-life,” and blamed what he called a cruel global economic system that allows people to be “buried alive in mud just so that a few people can make money.” He also underscored the urgency of the global climate crisis calling for the decommodification of natural resources like water The march ended on January 25 at Córrego do Feijão in Brumadinho the site of Vale’s dam collapse a year ago As yellow and white balloons were released into the air in memory of each life taken I thought about how this beautiful town has been filled with death — death of its river to bring attention to their lives and to remember that their deaths came at the hands of Vale’s criminal activity In addition to combating this increased criminalization MAB is also faced with challenging existing discourses on the socio-environmental sustainability of dams This phrase is used by MAB to draw attention to the fact that water is necessary for life to exist, but the current energy model in Brazil (and the world) is anti-life — for people and for nature. Many people assume that in the face of climate change, dams must be built because hydropower is a better, “cleaner” source of energy than fossil fuels. This is a misconception dam reservoirs are a significant source of methane emissions while free-flowing rivers actually trap carbon is 10 times dirtier than a coal-fired power plant that generates the same amount of energy Dams also disturb ecosystems by restricting water from flowing where it naturally would go and flooding habitats to create the reservoir This creates a situation where it is harder to adapt to climate change — especially as we continue to see more unpredictable weather patterns and more flooding the energy generated by dams in Brazil does not actually find its way to peoples’ homes; it instead serves large industry and mining operations lining the pockets of large multinational industries of which 102 are in Minas Gerais — the Brazilian state in which Brumadinho resides 270 people (including two pregnant people) were killed in the Brumadinho dam collapse representing 40 percent of its workforce in the area the tragedy also represents a labor rights violation Moreover, while Vale will continue to pay the full wage amount to approximately 15,000 people who live in the six communities most impacted by the disaster, at least 12,000 people affected by the collapse are not receiving any kind of aid the company is continuing to withhold aid to those who cannot prove they live in the affected areas both claim their operations are environmentally responsible the amount of money managed by these companies is hard to conceive Vale itself is accruing more profit each year even as this accumulation comes at the expense of people and of the environment In a statement issued on January 25, MAB demanded “full reparation for the survivors family members and all those affected who had their lives transformed reflecting the mining company’s negligence and greed.” The demand shows why people from around the world are standing together with MAB — because “only the organization of the people can change this reality know that it is not possible to expect goodwill from governments or from Vale.” We can follow in the direction of the international solidarity expressed during MAB’s five days of commemoration and listen to the global communities demanding that life must come before profit and point the way to building a better world; or we can head toward ecological and social collapse we are witnessing a terrifying array of anti-democratic tactics to silence political opposition increase surveillance and expand authoritarian reach Truthout is appealing for your support as Trump and his sycophants crack down on political speech Nonprofits like Truthout could be caught in Trump’s crosshairs as he attacks dissenting groups with bad faith lawsuits and targeted harassment of journalists these attacks come at a time when independent journalism is most needed The right-wing corporate takeover of media has left reliable outlets few and far between with even fewer providing their work at no cost to the reader Who will be there to hold the fascists to account We ask for your support as we doggedly pursue justice through our reporting Truthout is funded overwhelmingly by readers like you Please make a tax-deductible one-time or monthly donation today candidate in sociology at the University of Pittsburgh She has a background in environmental and social justice organizing and her dissertation research examines transnational right-to-water movements As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent independent media is a key part of the resistance Support our work by making a one-time or monthly donation to Truthout today.