The challenge of unprecedented floods and droughts in risk management

Heidi Kreibich; A. F. V. Loon; K. Schröter; Philip J. Ward; Maurizio Mazzoleni; N. Sairam; G. W. Abeshu; S. Agafonova; A. AghaKouchak; H. Aksoy; C. Alvarez-Garreton; B. Aznar; L. Balkhi; M. H. Barendrecht; S. Biancamaria; L. Bos-Burgering; C. Bradley; Y. Budiyono; w. Buytaert; L. Capewell; H. Carlson; Y. Cavus; A. Couasnon; G. Coxon; I. Daliakopoulos,; M. C. de Ruiter; C. Delus; M. Erfurt; G. Esposito; D. François; F. Frappart; J. Freer; N. Frolova; Animesh Kumar Gain; M. Grillakis; J. O. Grima; D. A. Guzmán; L. S. Huning; M. Ionita; M. Kharlamov; D. N. Khoi; N. Kieboom; M. Kireeva; A. Koutroulis; W. Lavado-Casimiro; H-Y Li; M. C. LLasat; D. Macdonald; J. Mård; H. Mathew-Richards; A. McKenzie; A. Mejia; E. M. Mendiondo; M. Mens; S. Mobini; G. S. Mohor; V. Nagavciuc; T. Ngo-Duc; T. T. Nguyen Huynh; P. T. T. Nhi; Olga Petrucci; H. Q. Nguyen; P. Quintana-Seguí; S. Razavi; E. Ridolfi; J. Riegel; Md. S. Sadik; E. Savelli; A. Sazonov; S. Sharma; J. Sörensen; F. A. A. Souza; K. Stahl; M. Steinhausen; M. Stoelzle; W. Szalińska; Q. Tang; F. Tian; T. Tokarczyk; C. Tovar; T. V. T. Tran; M. H. J. Van Huijgevoort; M. T. H. van Vliet; Sergiy Vorogushyn; T. Wagener; Y. Wang; D. E. Wendt; E. Wickham; . yang; M. Zambrano-Bigiarini; G. Blöschl; Giuliano Di Baldassarre

doi:10.1038/s41586-022-04917-5

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The challenge of unprecedented floods and droughts in risk management

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The challenge of unprecedented floods and droughts in risk management

Heidi Kreibich, A. F. V. Loon, K. Schröter, Philip J. Ward, Maurizio Mazzoleni, N. Sairam, G. W. Abeshu, S. Agafonova, A. AghaKouchak, H. Aksoy, …

Nature, Vol.608, pp.80-86

2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-04917-5

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Abstract

Risk management has reduced vulnerability to floods and droughts globally 1,2, yet their impacts are still increasing 3. An improved understanding of the causes of changing impacts is therefore needed, but has been hampered by a lack of empirical data 4,5. On the basis of a global dataset of 45 pairs of events that occurred within the same area, we show that risk management generally reduces the impacts of floods and droughts but faces difficulties in reducing the impacts of unprecedented events of a magnitude not previously experienced. If the second event was much more hazardous than the first, its impact was almost always higher. This is because management was not designed to deal with such extreme events: for example, they exceeded the design levels of levees and reservoirs. In two success stories, the impact of the second, more hazardous, event was lower, as a result of improved risk management governance and high investment in integrated management. The observed difficulty of managing unprecedented events is alarming, given that more extreme hydrological events are projected owing to climate change 3.

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Title: The challenge of unprecedented floods and droughts in risk management
Authors/Creators: Heidi Kreibich
A. F. V. Loon
K. Schröter
Philip J. Ward - University of Amsterdam
Maurizio Mazzoleni - IHE Delft Institute for Water Education
N. Sairam
G. W. Abeshu
S. Agafonova
A. AghaKouchak
H. Aksoy
C. Alvarez-Garreton
B. Aznar
L. Balkhi
M. H. Barendrecht
S. Biancamaria
L. Bos-Burgering
C. Bradley
Y. Budiyono
w. Buytaert
L. Capewell
H. Carlson
Y. Cavus
A. Couasnon
G. Coxon
I. Daliakopoulos,
M. C. de Ruiter
C. Delus
M. Erfurt
G. Esposito
D. François
F. Frappart
J. Freer
N. Frolova
Animesh Kumar Gain (Author) - Murdoch University, School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
M. Grillakis
J. O. Grima
D. A. Guzmán
L. S. Huning
M. Ionita
M. Kharlamov
D. N. Khoi
N. Kieboom
M. Kireeva
A. Koutroulis
W. Lavado-Casimiro
H-Y Li
M. C. LLasat
D. Macdonald
J. Mård
H. Mathew-Richards
A. McKenzie
A. Mejia
E. M. Mendiondo
M. Mens
S. Mobini
G. S. Mohor
V. Nagavciuc
T. Ngo-Duc
T. T. Nguyen Huynh
P. T. T. Nhi
Olga Petrucci - Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection
H. Q. Nguyen
P. Quintana-Seguí
S. Razavi
E. Ridolfi
J. Riegel
Md. S. Sadik
E. Savelli
A. Sazonov
S. Sharma
J. Sörensen
F. A. A. Souza
K. Stahl
M. Steinhausen
M. Stoelzle
W. Szalińska
Q. Tang
F. Tian
T. Tokarczyk
C. Tovar
T. V. T. Tran
M. H. J. Van Huijgevoort
M. T. H. van Vliet
Sergiy Vorogushyn - GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences
T. Wagener
Y. Wang
D. E. Wendt
E. Wickham
. yang
M. Zambrano-Bigiarini
G. Blöschl
Giuliano Di Baldassarre - Centre of Natural Hazards and Disaster Science
Publication Details: Nature, Vol.608, pp.80-86
Publisher: Springer Nature
Identifiers: 991005554767707891
Copyright: © 2023 Springer Nature Limited
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems; Centre for Terrestrial Ecosystem Science and Sustainability; School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 6 Social Sciences; 6.153 Climate Change; 6.153.558 Climate Change Adaptation
Web Of Science research areas: Environmental Sciences
ESI research areas: Environment/Ecology