Oxfam blames S Asia flood defence

The UN fears much of the farming land has been lost

Aid agency Oxfam says badly designed flood defences may have worsened the recent deadly South Asian flooding.

Oxfam said poorly built or maintained embankments on rivers obstructed the natural flow of water and caused more extensive flooding downstream.

It urged more to be done preparing people for floods to avoid post-disaster salvage spending.

Figures for the death toll vary widely from 500 to 2,300. At least 20 million people were affected.

Oxfam's report says the construction of embankments in the Indian state of Bihar, for example, had increased the flood prone area in the state from 2.5m hectares to nearly 7m.

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