Dramatic population growth in flood-prone areas worldwide has occurred since 1985, according to research published in the journal Nature.

The research, in which the assistant professor of Oceanography and Marine Life Sciences of the University of the Aegean, Michalis Vousdoukas, also participated, examined data for the period of time 1985-2015. It was found that during this period human settlements expanded by 85.4%, however, settlements with the highest exposure to flood risk increased by 122%.

The above findings indicate that human settlement in high flood risk zones is faster than that in low flood risk areas.

Furthermore, it was found that in 2015 at least 11.3% of all inhabited areas, worldwide, faced a high or very high risk of flooding.

The growth of urban settlements can promote economic growth, but it also raises concerns about increased vulnerability to natural hazards and strain on public services and infrastructure. The specific findings come as previous research has pointed out that the populations affected by floods are increasing.

It was also found that the dynamics of flood exposure differ between regions and countries of different income levels. For example, the East Asia and Pacific region had the highest proportion of people living in hazardous areas.

THE Europeas well as Latin America and the Caribbean, central Asia, are regions where the rate of population growth in areas exposed to flooding exceeds the rate of growth in non-vulnerable areas.

In contrast, sub-Saharan Africa and North America had the lowest risk exposure rates.