Running head: GLOBAL ISSUE REPORT 1

Global Issues Report:

Floods as a Matter of the Now

Paulina Gutierrez-Ramirez

The University of Texas at El Paso

RWS 1301

Dr. Vierra

November 18, 2018

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Abstract

Floods are presently an issue around the globe whereas natural appearances have

increased, consequently, problematics around communities and environments have increased as

well. Focusing on The University of Texas at El Paso, and their history facing floods, the issue of

prevention should be addressed. As the university should focus on applied solutions around the

globe, through research and study, it was concluded the possibility of taking advantage of the

arroyo at UTEP. Regarding an arroyo functioning, and how they can serve as a water carrier and

storage, it was concluded how arroyos can be utilized a focused purpose. The university must

keep researching the issue regarding floods and consider the plan of taking advantage of a tool

they already possess- the arroyo-, keeping at all time, the purpose of bringing safety to the

community which blends the university as one.

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Global Issues Report

In preceding years, The University of Texas at El Paso has confronted troublesome floods

over campus. A research study concluding acknowledged flood occurrences have increased,

becoming one of the first causers of deaths around the globe. For this reason, UTEP should

examine possible solutions as it is of sum importance to address this type of issues for the

planning and prevention of them. From the perspective of seeking for the safety of the

community, the university can solve their problematic regarding floods by focusing on applied

solutions around the globe.

Discussion

Arroyos can be a helpful tool to avoid floods. According to Marmolejo, Sheng and

Walton (2010) El Paso’s need for implementation in storm water transport and storage has been

studied and acknowledged with the purpose of flood prevention (p. 2). The interconnection for a

possible solution regarding an architectural-type of water transport and storage, is an arroyo, as

the Encyclopedia of Environmental Change defined an arroyo as a channel carrier of water

produced by climate change, which definition can be set as an example of the aforementioned.

Being this said, it must be mentioned, the fact that The University of Texas at El Paso possesses

an arroyo, as figure 1 exposes. This shows that arroyos purpose of existence is a viable solution

in avoiding floods at the university.

Regarding arroyos and their purpose of existence, they can also represent a sense of

identity for a community. In the year 2001, The University of Texas at El Paso faced a

controversial organizational dispute regarding the sacrifice of part of the arroyo for a new

parking lot as some enrolled students at the time complained about the fact that parking spaces
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were dismal but some students felt the arroyo was an identity to the university as it provides

wildlife to the environment and it has been part of the community for a long period of time (The

Prospector, 2001, p. 3). In the same way, Reynoso (2013), agreed how through taking advantage

of an arroyo, the wildlife that comes with the existence of it at campus improves the community

and student environment (p. 2). Correspondingly, the photograph from figure 1 graphically

shows the type of wild life that comes with the instance of arroyos as aforementioned, such as

Yucca plants and skunks. Based on this evidence of events, it is conclusive that arroyos represent

more than just a structural type of architecture.

The percentage of floods around the globe have increased. Through The Hutchinson

Encyclopedia, a definition of floods was provided, as well as in which places floods are less

likely to occur and how the changes of climate have impacted the globe throughout the years.

Being this said, a research study presented by Marmolejo, Sheng, and Walton (2010) addressed

the fact of storm water runoff increasing over the past few years, highlighting the importance of

incorporating a plan to reduce water use and decrease storm water runoff as one of the main

points to be examined and appointed (p. 1). The authors point is as floods have demonstrated an

increase rate of appearances, the issue should be aimed with research with the purpose of finding

viable solutions (p. 3). This confirms the increasing climate change is impacting the entire world,

and more severely in certain parts of it.

The University of Texas at El Paso has researched the use of arroyos in the campus.

According to Reynoso (2013) building smaller arroyos throughout campus which could help

clean and lead storm water into the arroyos, providing a safer and more effective system (p. 1).

Also, the article discusses the possibility of including engaging students in outdoor activities

such as walking and biking around the arroyos. Also, the university has collaborated
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in research studies such as the Rio Grande Erosion Potential Demonstration-Report for the

National Border Technology Program. Jepsen, along with Roberts, Langford and Gailani (2001)

reported the collaboration of various national agencies, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers

(USACE), and the Sandia National Laboratories. Also, The University of Texas at El Paso

(UTEP), and the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), where they built a

technological measurement which grants the ascertainment of erosion and sediment

prospectively in the Rio Grande (p.157). Consequently, figure 3 evidences visually the

technological creation aforementioned, and how the sampling takes place as part of the research

in the Rio Grande. Therefore, if research and the Master’s Plan is carried out, UTEP could have

a viable solution for arroyos and the sense of identity they represent to a community.

The arroyos being rebuilt at The University of Texas at El Paso share a positive impact to

the campus. Reynoso (2013) through the UTEP Master’s Plan presented in 2010 agreed with

advantages of arroyos justifying how they could help clean and lead storm water into the arroyos,

providing a safer and more effective system (p. 1). Similarly, Corchado (2006) claimed and

informed a debate of rebuilding the arroyos as a solution to avoid floods where he conclusively

argued the consequences civilians are facing, citing community witnesses who have suffered

these climate change destructions, and how arroyos could relief these excesses of water (p. 1).

This shows that the aforementioned arguments became the winning arguments for the decision of

rebuilding again the arroyos representing the positive impact over the negative impacts of

arroyos, or else, they would not have been rebuilt.

Floods do not only grounds architectural damage but, also impact in other aspects. Del

Ninno (2001) introduced a case-study of floods in developed and developing countries, where he

focused on is the floods in Bangladesh in 1998 where the country was covered by more than
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two-thirds, threatening the health of many individuals adjacent to food shortage, the loss of

purchasing power to basic necessities and potential spread of water-borne disease (p. 36). Along

the same lines Ahern, Kovats, Wilkinson, Few, and Matthies (2005) discussed other health-

related issues such as mortality, injuries, diseases, and mental disorders the populations of these

had to deal with (p. 38). This confirms floods can represent a threat to human life.

The world has advanced their research studies on floods. Del Ninno (2001) provided

through his book, tables, outlining household coping strategies, and the response to how

Bangladesh recovered from the floods in 1998, setting possible effective solutions to this type of

disasters to other countries and communities around the world facing these (p. 40). Likewise,

Ahern, Kovats, Wilkinson, Few, and Matthies (2005) conducted a case-study on floods and the

impacting consequences of these by providing data from around the globe and the different

health issues such as mortality, injuries, diseases, and mental disorders the populations of these

had to deal with (p. 36). Likewise, through the medium of figure 2, the exact data of estimated

losses and damage in the Bangladesh floods of 1988 and 1998 which represents the

consequences of floods regarding the aforementioned international study-based research. This

confirms the world has knowledge on floods and how to handle these types of situations.

Technology can be by application means used to avert floods. Howard (2007) addresses

issues such as technology being a helpful tool in making efficient use and adequate protection

strategies for water quality and the environment where it is presented and argued how

underwater issues are complex but not unworkable (p. 3). Correspondingly, Jepsen, along with

Roberts, Langford and Gailani (2001) reported the collaboration of various national agencies,

such as the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the Sandia National Laboratories where

a technological innovation created by Sandia is presented as they built a technological

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measurement which grants the ascertainment of erosion and sediment prospectively in the Rio

Grande (p. 157). This type of device could influence on the quantity and quality of human health

by managing and protecting the bodies of water from potential contamination. Based on this

evidence, technology implementation is of an optional solution.

Flood appearances result in a mirror to marginalization. Collins (2010) presented a frame,

clarifying the unequal risks some geographical groups suffer, as marginalization and

consequences exist and affect externalities and communities and how these, enables geographical

groups of people to minimize negative environmental impact and more positive expanse to a

socioenvironmental consequence (p. 258). Similarly, Collins, along with Grineski and Aguilar

(2009), researched and presented a case-study describing the existence of an imbalance between

Ciudad Juárez (Mexico) and El Paso (USA), creating a danger frame which gives as a result,

individuals searching for a balance to their needs in order to have comparability between other

individuals’ life style, as well as their own (p. 3). This expresses the idea of inequality by the

hand of marginalization which is another reason why floods should be addressed for solution.

There is an existing flood classification. Del Ninno (2001) acknowledged the

classification of floods, according to the cause as it can be high rainfall, tidal extremes, and

structural failure (p. 38). They have a different effect on people’s lives and the consequences of

these may vary from one to other. It follows then, Ahern, Kovats, Wilkinson, Few, and Matthies

(2005) who conducted a case-study on floods and the impacting consequences of these different

types depending on a variety of factors (p. 42). This confirms that this classification is leaded by

the intensity and impacting outcomes of the appearance of these types of climate change.
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Conclusion

The University of Texas at El Paso can focus on applied solutions around the globe to

solve their problematic regarding floods. Around the globe, solutions such as canals to carry

bodies of water have been implemented for the prevention of floods, and as the university

already possess a canal- the arroyo, -the benefits of its existence should be considered. The

reason to hold flood prevention measures is, data has proofed a rate increase regarding floods

which highlights the importance of addressing the issue. In the past, the university has faced

flood problematics but, existing tested solutions for prevention can be implemented, in order to

maintain the safety of the community, which is the driving engine of pointing up the concern of

addressing these types of issues.

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References

Ahern, M., Kovats, R. S., Wilkinson, P., Few, R., & Matthies, F. (2005). Global health impacts

of floods: epidemiologic evidence. Epidemiologic reviews, 36-46. Retrieved from

https://academic.oup.com/epirev/article/27/1/36/520815

Collins, T. W. (2010). Marginalization, facilitation, and the production of unequal risk: The 2006

Paso del Norte floods. Antipode, 42(2), 258-288. Retrieved from

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8330.2009.00755.x

Collins, T. W., Grineski, S. E., & Aguilar, María de Lourdes Romo. (2009). Vulnerability to

environmental hazards in the Ciudad Juárez (Mexico)–El Paso (USA) Metropolis: A

model for spatial risk assessment in transnational context. Applied Geography, 29(3).

Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0143622808000751

Corchado, A. (2006). El Paso left with flood questions, some little else. Dallas Morning News,

the (TX). Retrieved

from http://0search.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=n5h&AN=2W62

W61740511746&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Del Ninno, C. (Ed.). (2001). The 1998 floods in Bangladesh: disaster impacts, household coping

strategies, and response (Vol. 122). Intl Food Policy Res Inst. Retrieved from

https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=X0f6kOd4IzsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR5&dq=

bangladesh+floods+in+1974&ots=jiaeEtJ4L-&sig=VC-o-

a0D1rGxYtJ6iSpqor3UW4A#v=onepage&q=bangladesh%20floods%20in%201974&f=f

alse
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Flooding. (2018). In The hutchinson unabridged encyclopedia with atlas and weather guide.

Retrieved from https://0-search-credoreference-

com.lib.utep.edu/content/entry/heliconhe/flooding/0

Howard, K.W.F. (Ed.). (2007). Urban underground- Meeting the challenge. London, UK:

Taylor & Francis/ Balkema.

Jepsen, R. A., Roberts, J. D., Langford, R., & Gailani, j. (2001). Rio Grande Erosion Potential

Demonstration-Report for the National Border Technology Program. Sandia National

Labs., Albuquerque, NM (US); Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (US). Retrieved

from https://www.osti.gov/biblio/789596

Marmolejo, R. S., Sheng, Z., & Walton, J. (2010). Low Impact Development (LID) Structures for

Groundwater Management and Watershed Protection in the AMCR10 Watershed, El Paso,

Texas. Retrieved from http://twri.tamu.edu/docs/funding/usgs/2010-11/marmolejo-

proposal.pdf

Matthews, J., Walsh, R., & Matthews, J. A. (2014). Arroyos. Encyclopedia of environmental

change. Retrieved from https://0-search-credoreference-

com.lib.utep.edu/content/topic/arroyos

Reynoso, P. (2013). UTEP arroyo to benefit from campus transformation project. Borderzine:

Reporting across fronteras. Retrieved from http://borderzine.com/2013/04/utep-arroyo-to-

benefit-from-campus-transformation-project/
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Sanchez, J. (2001). University bike patrol moving element to safety. The Prospector, Vol. 88,

No. 6, p. 8. https://theprospector.newspaperarchive.com/el-paso-prospector/2006-08-

23/page-4/

Villa, P. (2001). Arroyo may become parking area. The Prospector, Vol. 88, No. 8, p. 3.

https://theprospector.newspaperarchive.com/el-paso-prospector/2001-10-17/

Whipple Jr., W. (1994). New perspectives in water supply. Boca Raton, FL: Lewis Publishers.
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Figures

Figure 1. Arroyo at The University of Texas at El Paso. Arroyos like this one at UTEP,

support a vast variety of wildlife, such as Yucca plants and skunks. Source: Paul

Reynoso/Borderzine.com: http://borderzine.com/2013/04/utep-arroyo-to-benefit-from-campus-

transformation-project/, cited in El Paso, 2013.

Figure 2. Estimates of losses and damage in the Bangladesh floods of 1988 and 1998. It

represents the consequences of floods regarding an international study-based research. Source:

Grameen trust flood website: http://www.balngladeshonline.com/gob/flood98/foreign_1.html,

cited in Ahmed, 1999.

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Figure 3. Sediment sampling at the Rio Grande. It evidences the measurement technology

created by Sandia, among others, enabling the determination of erosion and potential of

sediments at the Rio Grande. Source: Sandia reports:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Joseph_Gailani/publication/255271016_Rio_Grande_Erosi

on_Potential_Demonstration, cited in Almas, 2001.