The Rivers That Flooded In Colombia Tragedy And Deforestation

     The recent news in Syria has overshadowed the tragedy that took place in a city in Colombia. The latest figures put the death toll at possibly over three hundred when three rivers located near where many people live overflowed. The survivors of this tragedy need support and assistance. The jury is still out as to why so many lives were lost. It is common for poor people that have nowhere else to go to build homes near rivers. The homes are often poorly constructed structures. It was suggested by a leader in Colombia that global warming caused heavy rains, which caused the rivers to overflow.
       While people argue back and forth about climate change and continue to do little to nothing of substance (it is not as though humans are relying significantly less on fossil fuels, and the human population continues to explode), there is something very real and insidious that no one can deny. And that is that deforestation is real. As long as deforestation continues, weather related events will take a greater toll on human life and property than otherwise would have been the case. Mudslides, flooding and landslides are made worse by deforestation, and at times are directly caused by it. The rainforests of Colombia and elsewhere are being destroyed, and people pay a heavy price for this loss.