FLOODS CAUSE EXTENSIVE CROP DAMAGE IN SEVERAL PARTS OF ASIA - 27 August 1998
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From late June onwards, persistent rains, attributed to the La Niña phenomenon, and consequent flooding have taken a heavy toll on human life and property in several parts of Asia. To date, nearly 3000 flood-related deaths have been reported. Severe damage has also been inflicted on the infrastructure (roads, bridges, rail links), seriously disrupting the movement of commodities. China and Bangladesh have been hardest hit, but there has also been loss of life in the Republic of Korea, India and Nepal. In the region as a whole more than 250 million people have been affected by the floods, many left without shelter and possessions. Large areas of cropped land have been submerged in China, Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea. Although it is too early to estimate the impact of the floods on regional crop production, there are fears of a decline in world paddy output, 90 percent of which comes from Asia. This could fuel further increases in world rice prices, already unseasonably hig h. Indonesia, once self-sufficient in rice, is now the world’s largest importer, and faces the severe prospect of reduced production due to earlier drought, high world prices and an unprecedented financial crisis.