Saving lives and livelihoods-The urgent need to invest in flood resilience

Floods affect more people globally than any other type of natural hazard, with over 734 million people affected by floods in the last ten years. Global warming is increasing the severity of flooding, with negative impacts on livelihoods and countries’ ability to reach development objectives. There are preventive measures that can build flood resilience, but these are significantly under-resourced,1 and when we fail to invest in risk reduction, these hazards become disasters with devastating consequences. Donors and national governments need to act urgently to increase funding at the local level, so communities can protect themselves from the devastating impacts of floods and other hazards.