Flood disasters: lessons from the past—worries for the future

Abstract

Flood disasters account for about a third of all natural disasters throughout the world (by number and economic losses) and are responsible for more than half of the fatalities. Trend analyses reveal that major flood disasters and the losses generated by them have increased drastically in recent years. Co-operation between the state, the affected population and the insurance industry assumes a key role with regard to the flood hazard. Scientists, engineers and insurers must work together in formulating their requirements and shaping them in such a way that politicians can derive clearly recognizable policy options (e.g. land use restrictions) from them. Another important aspect is stepping up the efforts being made towards curbing climate change, which will otherwise exacerbate the risk in the future.