The future is uncertain. It’s hard to know exactly how our climate will change. That means there is also deep uncertainty around its impacts on flooding, the most prevalent disaster worldwide.
Floods account for 43% of all recorded disaster events in the past 20 years. Will climate change exacerbate flooding events? How much will sea level rise? How extreme will rainfall be? What we do know is that the best way to cope with uncertainty is flexibility.
Floods in urban areas are a growing risk in many countries of the developing world. This column explains how integrated actions to adapt to flooding are urgently needed in most cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America – particularly to help deprived people living in areas of inadequate housing. We must comprehend the links between geophysical processes, human drivers, and human victims at multiple scales. We must also respond at all levels – from individual households to national governments, as well as international river basin management.
In June 2015, after two days of heavy rain, flood water washed away Sarah’s small store in Accra, which provided for her family of three. The flood that hit the city in June 2015 affected ...
Heatwaves across south-east Australia continue to break records. New Orleans is still searching for solutions to its flooding issues following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Researchers look for...
Disaster preparedness is crucial for prevention of losses and successful coping as well as building community flood resilience. Better preparedness ensures reduced loss of people, their asse...
KATHMANDU, June 10: Ready or not, the monsoon is upon us again. The first gentle rains come as a boon, helping farmers start cultivating the land on which their livelihood largely depends. ...
Zurich Flood Resilience Program
email: info@floodresilience.net
