Floods are among the most frequent and serious natural disasters. Since 2000, more than 1.6 billion people have been affected, and the economic damage is enormous. The reasons are man-made: the climate crisis and ever-expanding cities are driving the risk up. As is often the case, people living in poor countries are particularly affected.
Effective flood prevention
This raises the question of what solutions exist for effective flood prevention. There are several approaches:
Politically, locally coordinated preparedness strategies must be implemented. Technological possibilities such as early warning systems, AI, and the analysis of satellite data must also be better utilized. It is important to involve vulnerable communities, who can often contribute to prevention with traditional knowledge and support ecological aspects, for example, by maintaining mangrove forests or protecting wetlands.
Germany at high risk, Philippines again at the top
The report concludes that the country with the highest risk for natural disasters is the Philippines. However, it notes that Germany also has a high flood risk. The 2021 flood disaster in the Ahr Valley highlighted how a lack of preparation, weak warning systems, and institutional fragmentation can be fatal even in a highly developed country.
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