According to Australian researchers, communities around the world must be prepared for floods to become more frequent and severe.
In a special report, the researchers describe the common health risks people face when they are struck by a flood, with about 100,000 deaths reported worldwide between 2000 and 2019.
The researchers say that, beyond deaths during the flood, people face a long list of health risks, from injuries and poisoning to infectious diseases and mosquito-borne illnesses, and longer-term health complications resulting from everything they are exposed to in the aftermath.
As floods are expected to increase across much of the world due to climate change, the researchers describe the ways in which communities can prepare for floods, prevent the worst health effects, and communicate emergency alerts more effectively.
