Poverty and environmental degradation are intrinsically linked together. When Mitch rained, as much as 40 inches in a three day period, where there was no tree cover and little plant life to slow the rain runoff, sharp surges of water rushed off of mountains and fields into rivers causing flooding and mudslides of unprecedented proportions. Global Climatic Change Two of the most important environmental concerns as we move to the 21st century are deforestation and Global Climatic Change. Global Climatic Change is making predictability impossible. Each year severe weather events will come more often.
More hurricanes are inevitable.
Excessive levels of carbon in the atmosphere and lack of green to absorb the carbon are causing the severe Ni o effects. Although only 5 centimeters of rain fell in the village of Wiwili on the Rio Coco, water in the Rio Coco rose 20 meters washing away 640 houses and affecting 1300 other houses. Deforestation from upriver was to blame. The Nicaraguan government was warned of flooding on the upper reaches of the Rio Coco but did not notify the people downriver of the coming flood.