Strength in Beauty – Rethinking Tsunami Defense
In tsunami preparedness, it turns out there can be strength in beauty. Rows of green hills strategically arranged along coastlines can help to fend off destruction from tsunamis while preserving…
Flood Protection
Flood risk, warning and protection
Flood Prevention Could Bring ‘Huge’ Payoff as Global Risks Rise
LONDON, April 23 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Asia faces surging threats from coastal and river flooding as climate change brings more intense rainfall and rising seas – but investing now…
Virus-Hit Asian Nations Brace for Double Disasters as Extreme Weather Looms
Countries from India to the Philippines, already struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, are likely to also battle weather-related crises, from heat waves to cyclones, in coming months, disaster experts warned…
More Pavement, More Flooding, Study Finds
A recent Johns Hopkins University study found that impervious surfaces found in urban areas significantly increase the potential for flooding. For every percentage point increase in roads, parking lots and…
Holding Back the Tide – Sea’s Advance Threatens Tunisia’s Beaches
HAMMAMET, Tunisia (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The trunks of two palm trees lie flat on the white sand outside the Sultan Hotel in Hammamet, Tunisia, a stark sign of the…
Japan’s Experience With Earthquakes Can Help Teach Us to Learn to Live With Floods
The intense rainfall from storms this winter has caused severe flooding in numerous cities across the UK. The storms have left at least eight people dead, and economic losses have…
High and Dry: Flood-Hit Zimbabweans Look Back to Stilt Homes
BINGA, Zimbabwe, March 13 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Anyone driving through Binga, in western Zimbabwe, is greeted by a vision of the past dotted along the tarred road: thatched homes…
New Flood Damage Framework Helps Planners Prepare for Sea-Level Rise
Scientists agree that sea levels will continue to rise this century, but projections beyond 2050 are much more uncertain regarding exactly how much higher ocean levels will be by 2100.…
Protecting Mangroves Can Prevent Billions of Dollars in Global Flooding Damage Every Year
Hurricanes and tropical storms are estimated to cost the U.S. economy more than US$50 billion yearly in damage from winds and flooding. And as these storms travel across the Atlantic,…
Northern European Enclosure Dam Could Protect 25 Million People From Rising Seas
A 475-km-long dam between the north of Scotland and the west of Norway and another one of 160 km between the west point of France and the southwest of England…
Asian Cities Urged to Bolster Defence Against Rising Seas
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Major Asian cities, including Tokyo, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai, are most at risk from rising sea levels, researchers warned…
Housebuilding Ban on Floodplains Isn’t Enough – Flood-Prone Communities Should Take Back Control
February 2020 has brought more than its fair share of bad weather to the north of England, the Midlands and Wales. Shrewsbury, Bewdley and Telford swam in the Severn, while…
‘Natural’ Flood Management Would Be Overwhelmed by Britain’s Winter Super-Floods
As large swathes of the UK endure the worst floods in living memory, hearts and minds are rightly focused on protecting people and property. At one point the government’s Environment…
To Avert Future Flood Chaos, Indonesian Capital Urged to Defend Nature
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Indonesia’s flood-hit capital Jakarta must protect and plant trees, stop extracting so much groundwater, and develop long-term plans together with surrounding towns…
Without Better Flood Protection, Venice Risks Loss of Heritage Status
Growing damage to the historic city could imperil its status, UNESCO warns, as a flood protection system remains delayed. By Anna Scholz-Carlson for the Thomson Reuters Foundation. LONDON, Nov 21…
US Announces $30 Million to Bolster Coasts From Flooding, Rising Seas
NEW YORK, Nov 19 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The U.S. government’s oceans and waterways agency will provide $30 million to improve coastal resilience, officials said, aiming to reduce the impacts…
