Flood facts: Be prepared. Protect your valuables

As climate change continues to deliver unprecedented global weather events, flood prone regions are bracing for ever-worsening natural disasters.

While flood events are an inevitable fact of life, the consequences don’t have to be. Both individuals and communities suffer loss of life, property damage, destruction of crops, loss of livestock, and waterborne diseases.

We cannot stop floods; there will always be a residual risk of flooding in the future. However, we can manage this risk through a combination of measures including: applying and communicating lessons learned from past floods; improving land use planning and floodplain management; using improved knowledge and technology to enhance flood forecasting and warnings; and adopting smarter urban design and integrated water management.