"Risky Business: The Trend of Building New Cities in Flood-Prone Areas"

The amount of building in flood-prone areas is rapidly increasing as the world urbanizes, raising concerns about vulnerability to disasters amidst the escalating climate crisis. Between 1985 and 2015, settlements with the highest flood hazard exposure increased by 122%. Urbanization occurred more rapidly in high-hazard flood zones than in low-risk areas. In 2015, over 11% of built-up areas globally faced high or very high flood risk. Coastal flooding vulnerability is increasing at the fastest pace. Flood risks are substantial across all regions and income groups, with exposure highest in East Asia and the Pacific. Scarcity of safer land, economic opportunities, lack of flood data, poor urban planning, and weak regulation contribute to building in flood-prone areas. The report recommends investment in disaster preparedness, early warning systems, evacuation plans, and revising land use plans and building codes.