[Clinic] Resilient Societies - People in harm’s way: Flood exposure and poverty in 189 countries

The Resilient Societies Clinic is a biweekly discussion of recent applications of the risk management toolbox for sustainable and inclusive development. Sessions are intended for both technical and operational audiences. This second session in the serioes presents new global estimates of the number of people that face the risk of intense fluvial, pluvial, or coastal flooding. Our findings suggest that 1.47 billion people, or 19 percent of the world population, are directly exposed to substantial risks during 1-in-100 year flood events. The majority of flood exposed people, about 1.36 billion, are located in South and East Asia; China (329 million) and India (225 million) account for over a third of global exposure. Of the 1.47 billion people who are exposed to flood risk, 89 percent live in low- and middle-income countries. Of the 132 million people who are estimated to live in both extreme poverty (under $1.9 per day) and in high flood risk areas, 55 percent are in Sub-Saharan Africa