‘Derna should be reconstructed’
The two dams in Derna collapsed on September 11 after they were overwhelmed by Storm Daniel, causing floods. Libyan women say that Derna should be reconstructed according to international and environmental standards.
HINDIYA AL-ASHEPY
Benghazi- On September 10, “Storm Daniel” caused flooding in the cities of Benghazi, Bayda, Marj, Sousa and Derna in the east of Libya. The floods killed 4,333 people and displaced more than 43,000 people, including at least 17,000 children. The floods have left deep scars in the Al Jabal al Akhdar region of Libya.
More than 450 trees washed away by the floods
In an interview with NuJINHA, Mona Ibrahim, director of the Administration of Sustainable Development and Climate Change of Libya’s Ministry of Environment, said that floods caused the removal of top soils and washed away more than 200 olive trees and 250 oak trees in the Al Jabal al Akhdar region.
Pollution of sea and water sources
Speaking about the impact of the floods on the environment, she said, “The floods contaminated water sources with sewage in Derna and a number of cities in eastern Libya. The floods also polluted the sea because the floods caused erosion, bringing metals, car parts, cleaning materials, and chemicals into the sea. The polluted sediment and debris affect all marine species such as coral reefs and fish.”
Mona Ibrahim thinks a complete field examination and a survey of the environmental damage resulting from the floods in the cities and regions of eastern Libya should be conducted.
‘Derna should be reconstructed’
Entisar Al-Mujabri, director of the Environmental Emergency office of Libya’s Ministry of Environment, spoke about the impact of climate change in Libya. “Climate change affects all facets of life, especially the environment. The characteristics of soil change and differ due to climate change. The floods that hit the cities of eastern Libya reveal new water springs. The well-known springs disappeared, especially in Derna’s area of Wadi Al-Naqa,” she said.
Entisar Al-Mujabri thinks that there is a need for scientific study and advanced tools against natural events such as floods in Libya. “The Derna Reconstruction Conference aims to find international companies to reconstruct Derna according to international and environmental standards.”