Development of a Method for Assessing Country-Based Flood Risk at the Global Scale

Abstract

International frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015−2030 require the quantification of country-based flood risk. However, few approaches at the global scale include the three necessary components (hazard, exposure, and vulnerability) for determining disaster risk and are country-based assessments, owing to major challenges such as limited data availability and vulnerability proxy selection. Therefore, in this study, a method was developed with the following features: Incorporating the hazard, exposure, and vulnerability components; Applicable to the vast majority of countries in the world; Visualizing priority countries and illustrating effective measures and strategies; Clear and easy to understand by leaders and decision makers of international organizations, governments, and other stakeholders; Identifying each country’s challenges and providing guidance on specific issues for more detailed investigation and policy creation; Including more extensive factors compared with past studies. In Asia and the Pacific, the Flood Risk Index computed by the developed method is compared with the fatality ratio, and the results show that improving flood resilience secures people and society regardless of the magnitude and frequency of floods. Analysis at the global scale visualizes regional tendencies and indicates that countries closer to the equator have higher flood risk. Analysis of country-based flood risk based on five indicators demonstrates that the developed method can assist international organizations, governments, and other stakeholders to further examine country-specific conditions and establish and implement policies and strategies toward building a resilient society and achieving international targets.