Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance COP26 joint statement
Floods affect more people globally than any other type of natural hazard, accounting for nearly 50% of all natural disasters.
Every year over 635 million people are affected by floods, and this number is increasing annually. Representing an Alliance of nine organisations, including aid organisations, leading academics and the private sector, we have seen first hand how homes are swept away, businesses are destroyed and millions have lost their lives.
This doesn’t have to be the future. For every USD1 spent on flood prevention and resilience, USD5 is saved on recovery.
Since 2013, we have helped over 315 000 people become more resilient to floods, and influenced over USD 340 million in commitments and spending on flood resilience1.
This COP, we call on governments to commit to delivering the $100bn climate finance a year that they have promised – half of which should be spent on helping communities adapt and cope with the impacts of climate change that we are already seeing. We know that those countries most vulnerable to climate change are the least likely to receive funding to adapt to the impacts of climate. This COP we are calling for governments to prioritise those most vulnerable, to turn the tide for millions worldwide.
About us: The Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance comprises 9 members – Zurich Insurance Group working with Concern Worldwide, Mercy Corps, Plan International and Practical Action as well as the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and research partners the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the London School of Economics (LSE) and the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-International (ISET). The Alliance was formed in 2018, with the commitments to advocate for funding in climate-smart, risk-informed development and to help 2 million people becoming resilient to flooding.