Youth-led projects build flood resilience in South Africa and Colombia

Both “Water from a Rock” in South Africa and “Collaborative Mapping for Flooding Resilience” in Colombia, focus on empowering communities to better prepare for and respond to flooding. The two projects were selected among more than 30 project proposals received in the context of the Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM) - Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) competition for youth-led initiatives.  

Water from a Rock 

Flooding is one of Africa's deadliest natural disasters, and recent events have underscored the continent's vulnerability. According to the State of Global Water Resources 2023 report, over 11,000 lives were lost in Libya when two dams collapsed due to flooding in 2023. Floods also affected the Horn of Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Mozambique, and Malawi, leading to an additional toll of over 1,600 deaths. Southern Africa is no exception. Durban and surrounding areas were affected by devastating flooding in April 2022, which caused over 440 fatalities. The same area was flooded in June 2024, causing extensive damage and loss of life. 

To address the vulnerabilities and urgent need for disaster preparedness in these areas, YouthMappers from the University of Pretoria developed the Water from a Rock initiative. The project focuses on: 

• Raising awareness and increasing flood preparedness among youth; 
• Mapping vulnerable communities; and 
• Developing a geofencing-based app to alert users entering high-risk flood zones. 

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 to evaluate the extent of damage caused by floods in various scenarios  - such as floods caused by tropical cyclones, 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. 

YouthMappers faced some challenges in implementing the initiative. Limited computing resources did not allow for large study area risk assessments, and necessitated downscaling to smaller study areas of approximately 20,000 km². Despite the challenges, the project made significant progress in mapping at-risk zones and raising community awareness. 

Moving forward, the focus of the project will be on identifying and demarcating additional vulnerable areas in South Africa to expand the notification system. The ongoing effort aims to continuously map regions at risk of flood damage from future weather events, ensuring that local communities are better prepared to face potential disasters. 

Collaborative Mapping for Flooding Resilience 

The Iguaná Creek basin covers an area of approximately 50 km² in the central-western part of Medellín, Colombia. Since 1880, the area surrounding the creek has experienced numerous floods leading to infrastructure damage, displacement of numerous families, and human losses. The frequency of these events increased since the 1980s, particularly during rainy seasons. 

The project “Collaborative Mapping for Flooding Resilience” was implemented in Nueva Villa La Iguaná, Medellín, by YouthMappers chapters SAGEMA and GeoLab, to help enhance the community capacity to address flood vulnerability in the area with self-management tools. The main objectives of the project were to collect cartographic data, promote territorial recognition, and identify factors increasing flood vulnerability. 

YouthMappers hosted several workshops with members of the community, focusing on collaborative work and providing training on mapping tools such as OpenStreetMap, Mapillary, and Kobo Toolbox. The data collected highlighted high-risk areas, critical infrastructure, and the need for improved drainage and flood mitigation measures. The Sistema de Alerta Temprana de Medellín (SIATA) was involved in the project to initiate a process of engagement with the community and explore the use of the collected information for supporting and implementing an early warning system. 

The initiative’s successes included establishing a foundation of cartographic information previously unavailable, providing the community with valuable tools for risk management, and fostering stronger connections between local authorities and residents. By leveraging local knowledge and involving youth in decision-making, this project contributed to fostering a shared sense of responsibility and community. The project highlighted the need for creative approaches to sustain community engagement, such as workshops tailored to different age groups and technical skills.

"Water from a Rock" and "Collaborative Mapping for Flooding Resilience" showed the potential of youth-led initiatives to drive impactful change in flood preparedness. Both initiatives underscore the critical role that young people can play in addressing environmental challenges. Youth involvement enhanced technical outputs and built a sense of ownership and empowerment in the communities in both projects. However, sustainability remains a significant challenge for youth-led projects. Limited access to technology and funding often undermines the potential for projects to be sustained in time and their long-term impact. To truly empower young people in addressing climate risks and build resilient communities, it is essential to equip them with the necessary tools, amplify their voices in decision-making spaces, and establish strong partnerships with institutions that can provide technical expertise and sustained funding.

More information on the Youth-Led Competition   

The Associated Programme on Flood Management (APFM) promotes an Integrated Flood Management approach to minimize related loss of life and impacts on livelihoods through protective measures while maximizing the net benefits derived from the efficient use of floodplains.

The Integrated Drought Management Programme (IDMP) provides advice and guidelines to communities, countries, and regions affected by drought through the Integrated Drought Management HelpDesk, to build climate resilience, reduce economic and social losses, and alleviate poverty in drought-affected regions of the world. 

APFM and IDMP are joint initiatives of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Global Water Partnership (GWP).