Environment
Calculating the Cost of River Floods in an Age of Climate Change
A new interactive tool estimates the economic, urban, and demographic risks through 2030.
Last September, India and Pakistan experienced devastating floods made deadlier because of shoddy urban planning and sluggish disaster management. About 600 people died, roughly 300 on either side of the border, as the river Jhelum flooded. Thousands were displaced, and many of those who lost their homes are still dealing with the aftermath of the disaster.
According to the World Resources Institute, river floods affect 21 million people in the world every year. In 2030, that number could rise to 54 million, with climate change driving the increase (hear that, Florida?) and urbanization putting more people in harm's way: