Rich nations face worse flooding

AFP, WASHINGTON: It has long been thought that wealthy countries, bolstered with more money for infrastructure investment, face lower risks of flooding.
But new research Thursday found that rich countries face major risks as climate change and human activity render coastal populations increasingly vulnerable to devastating river delta floods.
Though wealthy nations have greater resources to protect against flooding such as dams, climate change could increase the frequency and severity of floods and storms to a level that those nations may be challenged to keep pace with due to costs, according to a study in the US journal Science.
Man-made changes are also increasing the risk that coastal communities face, the study found.
As more land is used for agricultural production, for example, erosion occurs that reduces natural protections against flooding.

 

Rich nations face worse flooding

AFP, WASHINGTON: It has long been thought that wealthy countries, bolstered with more money for infrastructure investment, face lower risks of flooding. But new research Thursday found that rich countries face major risks as climate change and human activity render coastal populations increasingly vulnerable to devastating river delta floods. Though wealthy nations have greater resources to protect against flooding such as dams, climate change could increase the frequency and severity of floods and storms to a level that those nations may be challenged to keep pace with due to costs, according to a study in the US journal Science. Man-made changes are also increasing the risk that coastal communities face, the study found. As more land is used for agricultural production, for example, erosion occurs that reduces natural protections against flooding.