About 1.81 billion people, or 23% of the world’s population, are directly exposed to floods, which have a recurrence period of over a hundred years, over 15 cm.
Nearly a third of the world’s population is at risk of major flooding, with poor countries at the forefront, according to a study released Tuesday.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, cross-referenced data on the risks of flooding from rivers, rain and the sea with World Bank data on population distribution and poverty.
The crossroads show that some 1.81 billion people, or 23% of the world’s population, are directly exposed to floods, which have a recurrence period of over a hundred years, over 15 cm. Of those, 780 million live on less than $ 5.50 a day.
East and South Asia, followed by China and India, have a population of 1.24 billion.
“This poses great risks to lives and livelihoods, especially for the most vulnerable populations,” according to the study. Almost 90% of people at risk of flooding live in poor or middle-income countries.
According to researchers, about 12% of world GDP in 2020 was in high-risk areas. However, examining only the monetary side of this issue can create prejudice, focusing on rich countries and economic centers, they warn.
“Low-income countries are disproportionately exposed to flood risks and are more vulnerable to catastrophic consequences in the long run,” said a study by John Renzler of the World Bank and colleagues.
The study provides “the first global assessment of exposure to flood risk and poverty,” said Thomas McDermott of the National University of Ireland in Galway in a commentary published in Nature Communications.
Climate change and poorly planned urbanization are expected to exacerbate these risks in the coming years, researchers warn.
Unprecedented floods hit China in June this year, causing 500,000 people to flee their homes for precautionary reasons. Heavy monsoon rains have also killed more than 100 people in Bangladesh this month and flooded more than 7 million people.
According to scientists, climate change is resulting in stronger and more intense rainfall around the world.
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