Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
Get in touch with us nowIn 2023, floods caused the death of roughly 7,600 people across the globe. Nevertheless, this death toll is dwarfed in comparison to the peak recorded in 1999. That year, some 35,000 people died as a result of floods, mostly the consequence of one of the deadliest flood incidents of the previous century, which hit Venezuela in December.
While the death toll is the most critical impact of flooding incidents, it is not the only one. For example, more than 30 million people were impacted by floods worldwide in 2023, including those injured, affected or left homeless. In 2010 alone, almost 200 million people were affected. Floods also incur massive economic damage by destroying buildings and infrastructure. Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Egypt were the most exposed to river flooding as of 2024.
As climate change causes global temperatures to rise, floods are expected to increase in frequency and severity. A warmer atmosphere is able to retain more moisture, leading to an increase in intense downpours. It also affects snowmelt patterns. According to a 2022 report, the global population exposed to flood was expected to rise by 24 percent in the case of an increase in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
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Natural disasters worldwide
Types of disasters, countries and regions affected
Earthquakes
Storms and floods
Extreme weather
Wildland fires
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