Aqueduct Global Flood Risk Country Rankings

The Aqueduct Global Flood Risk Country Ranking ranks 163 countries by their current annual average population affected by river floods.

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Description

Key Findings

Approximately, 21 million people worldwide could be affected by river floods on average each year, and the 15 countries with the most people exposed, including India, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, and Cambodia, account for nearly 80 percent of the total population affected in an average year.

Summary

The Aqueduct Global Flood Risk Country Ranking ranks 163 countries by their current annual average population affected by river floods using the Aqueduct Global Flood Analyzer. Approximately, 21 million people worldwide could be affected by river floods on average each year, and the 15 countries with the most people exposed, including India, Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Thailand, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, and Cambodia, account for nearly 80 percent of the total population affected in an average year. A country-wide estimated average flood protection level was given to each country based on its income level.

Cautions

Assumption: We assigned a country-wide average flood protection level for each country based on its income level (World Bank). 1) For low-income countries, we assume 10-year flood protection; 2) for lower-middle income countries, we assume 25-year flood protection; 3) for upper-middle income countries, we assume 50-year flood protection; 4) for high-income countries, we assume 100-year flood protection; and 5) for the Netherlands, we assume a 1000-year flood protection.

Citation

Luo, T., Winsemius, H., and Ward, P. 2015. 'Aqueduct Global Flood Risk Country Rankings.' Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. Available online at:

Access & Use Information

License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Full license text available at Creative Commons Attribution 4.0

Metadata

Project: Aqueduct

Page Last Updated: June 28, 2016

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