Abstract
Abstract. The present paper examines flood risk (composed of hazard, exposure, and vulnerability) in a range of spatial perspectives – from the global to the local scale. It deals with observed records, noting that flood damage has been increasing. It also tackles projections for the future, related to flood hazard and flood losses. There are multiple factors driving flood hazard and flood risk and there is a considerable uncertainty in our assessments, and particularly in projections for the future. Further, this paper analyses options for flood risk reduction in several spatial dimensions, from global framework to regional to local scales. It is necessary to continue examination of the updated records of flood-related indices, trying to search for changes that influence flood hazard and flood risk in river basins.
Highlights
River flooding is a major natural disaster, manifesting itself at a range of spatial and temporal scales – from floods on large international rivers conveying huge masses of water lasting over weeks or months to potentially violent, destructive, and killing inundations in small, often urban basins lasting hours
Economic losses in monetary units caused by floods have been on the rise at any spatial scale. They are higher, in absolute terms, in industrialized countries, while relative economic losses expressed as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) and fatality rates are higher in less developed countries
Future flood risk in coastal zones will increase due to the sea level rise (Paprotny and Terefenko, 2017). Taking into account both the socioeconomic pathways and climate change but in absence of further investments in adaptation, Vousdoukas et al (2018) projected the annual damage caused by coastal flooding in Europe to increase from the current EUR 1.25 billion to EUR 93–961 billion by the end of the 21st century, and the exposed population to increase from the current level of 0.1 million to 1.52–3.65 million
Summary
River flooding is a major natural disaster, manifesting itself at a range of spatial and temporal scales – from floods on large international rivers conveying huge masses of water (cubic kilometres) lasting over weeks or months to potentially violent, destructive, and killing inundations in small, often urban basins lasting hours. The spatial perspective on floods ranges from a global view by multinational stakeholders, international organizations, reinsurance institutions, and think tanks, interested in global affairs to regional (group of countries and river basins which cross national borders, where 40 % of the global population live and where transboundary water issues should be addressed), national, and subnational (river basins) scales. Kundzewicz et al.: Flood risk in a range of spatial perspectives – from global to local scales that lost their house or workplace in the flood, or of persons responsible for local flood protection. In the present paper, reviewing flood risk in a range of spatial perspectives (from global to local), we start from examination of observed records, noting that flood damage has been increasing. We discuss projections for the future – flood hazard and flood losses, and review flood risk reduction strategies, starting from the global framework to regional to local scales
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