Flood Recovery, Innovation and Response

Flooding is a global phenomenon that each year claims around 25,000 lives worldwide. Additionally, many more people must endure the homelessness, disease and crop failures that are left in the wake of the floods. The increased frequency of flooding in the last ten years, coupled with climate change predictions and urban development, suggest that these statistics are set to worsen in future. Apart from the physical damage to buildings, contents and loss of life, which are the most obvious impacts of floods upon households, other more indirect losses, are often overlooked. These intangible impacts are generally associated with disruption to normal life as well as longer-term health issues including stress-related illness.