Flooding is the most common climate hazard and has significant devastating consequences to health and well-being.
From 2000 to 2019 more than 1.65 billion people were affected by floods, with approximately 104,614 lives lost.
Changing climate causes alterations in precipitation patterns, evotranspiration and soil moisture and the global cryosphere causing changes in the frequency, magnitude and duration of floods.
In recent decades, most countries have had a higher average number of population weighted flood days.
Projections based on high greenhouse gas emissions indicate that flood frequency will increase dramatically worldwide in the future.
Floods can cause deaths directly as by drowning, hypothermia, electrocution, and flood induced explosions, and fires at chemical plants.
These deaths tend to occur simultaneously with the onset of flooding and our influenced by characteristics, such as the speed of flow offloodwaters.
There is an increase in the risk of natural caused deaths that occur after floods.
Floods can exacerbate diseases and premature deaths, owing to the interruptions in disease management, disrupted access to clean water and sanitation, increased exposure to waterborne pathogens, food insecurity, undernutrition, and psychological distress.
It is estimated that there is a 2.1% relative increase in death from any cause within two months after floods.
Non-fatal injuries occurred during floods, include cuts, falls, injury from flying or falling objects, and collisions with swiftly moving objects in floodwaters.
Flooding may be associated with the release of chemicals stored in the environment.
Flood waters in mining regions can release, contaminated soil,waterways, fish and wildlife with coalash, toxic heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead, and mercury.
Following floods, there’s an increased exposure to carbon monoxide gas produced when fuels are burned for heating and power in disaster areas.
There is an increased risk of communicable diseases with flooding, including waterborne, mosquito borne, and rodent borne diseases, along with cutaneous and respiratory infections.
Rodent borne diseases, such an leptospirosis and hantivirus infection can be transmitted through direct contact with rodents or contaminated soil, food, or water.
Extreme precipitation can transport fecal pathogens into water bodies and urban surface runoff can carry these pathogens downstream to collection systems.
Overflowing of sewers may release untreated water and inundate water intake points or wastewater treatment plants.
Flooding can result in loss of water pressure introducing pathogens into drinking water.
Flood waters facilitate the breeding of arthropods potentially increasing the spread of water borne diseases.
Stagnant flood waters can provide conditions for mosquito vectors, increasing law of a populations and increased biting activity of adult mosquitoes.
The destruction of homes by flooding and subsequent overcrowding of shelters increases, respiratory viral pathogen transmission.
Aspiration of contaminated flood water can lead to aspiration pneumonia with complications of abscess, and pulmonary necrosis.
Skin infections are common when wounds are exposed to water contaminated with bacteria or fungi.
Bites and tings from arthropods and venomous animals are at risk after the floods and may cause severe local inflammation or systemic reactions, including anaphylaxis.
Flooding may cause compromise healthcare services by disrupting, travel, damage, facilities, loss of medical records, etc.
Exposure to flooding is linked to exacerbations of pre-existing health conditions, such as hypertension and cognitive decline, and increases the occurrence of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
Pregnant women are vulnerable to health related harms from floods and is associated with risk of gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and other adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Floods contribute to undernutrition in children in low and middle income countries.
Flooding is associated with increased burdens on mental health, owing to physical and economic insecurities, manifested by displacement, height, and violence, and financial loss.
Flooding is associated with displacement, which is associated with a greater than 95% likelihood to have depression, 66% likely to have anxiety and 70% likelihood to have post traumatic stress disorder than those not displaced.
Children who are displaced are particularly vulnerable to mental health consequences of flooding: decreased school attendance, poor academic performance, depression, PTSD and cognitive impairment.
Increased levels of sexual violence against girls and physical violence against boys occur after flooding.
Floods affect populations disproportionately as infants, children, older adults, those with pre-existing conditions, and people lacking social support during recovery are increasingly vulnerable.
A negative correlation exist between gross domestic product per capita, and flood related mortality, consistent with less resilient infrastructure, and healthcare resources.
In high income countries economically disadvantaged populations are more likely to reside in flood prone zones.
Risk management from floods requires prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.
Prevention strategies include nature based and structural approaches.
Structural solutions include construction or modification of the physical environment to reduce flooding effects on property: dams, flood bypasses,floodgates, modification of river channels, improved drainage systems and flood resilience of roads, and changes in housing designs to become flood proof.
Reducing green gas emissions is critical as they are key drivers of increased flood frequency.
Nature based solutions to alter natural functions of ecosystems to reduce water flow and ystore flood waters, or additional solutions.
Was can contribute to under nutrition and children in low and middle income countries, with contributing factors, including increased incident of diarrhea, inadequate, dietary intake, food, and security, inadequate, childcare with a depletion or loss of resources and assets.
Flooding is associated with mental health problems related to physical and economic insecurity with increased violence, displacement, and financial disruption.
Floods are associated with increased risk for anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder.
Mental health consequences of flooding are particularly prominent in children relating to the dependence on adults.
Floods decrease school attendance and academic performance, and the stress and disruptions seen are uassociated with cognitive impairments with reduced ability to focus, solve problems, and use of reasoned thinking.
Sexual violence against girls and physical violence against boys are noted to be increased after flooding.
The consequence of flooding affects certain persons and populations disproportionally:Infants, children, older adults, individuals reliant on extensive medical care and persons lacking social support are particularly vulnerable.
A negative correlation exists between a nations gross domestic product per capita and flood related mortality as indicated with fewer healthcare and infrastructure resources.
Following flooding in adequate water supplies, garbage collection, sewage, treatment, and sanitation facilities, predispose to infectious disease diseases during floods.
Economically disadvantaged populations and persons of color are more likely to reside in flood prone zones and face greater frequency and intensity of flooding with secondary adverse health outcomes.
Exposure to flooding is linked to exacerbations of pre-existing health conditions: hypertension, cognitive decline, increased cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases.
Pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to health related harms caused by flooding with increased risks for gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and increased risk of pregnancy loss.
Flooding is associated with poor sanitation, wide spread contamination of surface water, injuries, infections, physiological, and psychological distress from property damage, financial loss, and disrupted access to prenatal care.
Floods can contribute to malnutrition in children in low middle income countries.
Children in flooded areas have increased incidence of diarrhea, inadequate, dietary intake, food, insecurity, inadequate, childcare, and feeding practices and depletion or loss of resources and assets.
Protection from floods, requires risk management approach with preventative efforts, preparedness, response, and recovery strategies.