The bacteria that causes melioidosis usually lives 30cm underground in clay soil but is dredged to the surface during heavy rains and floods, and can enter the body through small breaks in the skin.
Dams, like the Kariba between Zambia and Zimbabwe, regulate flow for irrigation, hydropower and water supply.
ATEC-3D
The aftermath of flooding provides the perfect breeding ground for mould in our homes. It's important to properly remove it so it doesn't affect our health.
The source of the Yamuna River, one of the major rivers draining the Himalayas.
Anthony Dosseto
A new report predicts that one-third of the ice in the Himalayas will melt, even if we contain global warming to 1.5C. So what does that mean for the flood-prone valleys below?
Coastal erosion at Skipsea, East Yorkshire, UK.
Matthew J Thomas/Shutterstock
The more water, the more mosquito eggs are laid, and the more mosquitoes end up buzzing about. But to spread disease to people, they first need to bite infected wildlife.
Monitoring the whereabouts of floodwaters is vital for protecting infrastructure.
AAP Image/Andrew Rankin
The flood zone around Townsville extends for hundreds of kilometres, making monitoring difficult even from the air. But scientists are testing a new satellite method that can peer through the clouds.
Cairns has lots of hard grey infrastructure but much less green infrastructure that would reduce the impacts of the city’s growth.
Karine Dupré
Urbanisation is the main reason for rising temperatures and water pollution, but receives little attention in discussions about the health of water streams, reefs and oceans.
Flooding in Sydney last week was the latest example of Australian cities’ lack of resilience to a more extreme climate.
Dean Lewins/AAP
Australia's coastal settlements are highly exposed to the impacts of climate change. Climate-resilient urban landscapes that can cope with large amounts of water need to become the new normal.
To lessen the impacts of flash flooding in dry regions like Jordan, we need to educate local authorities on how best to manage their water.
Households in rural and regional areas are more likely to be insured than those in cities, possibly because rural residents are more attuned to environmental conditions and the risks to property.
Tasmania Police/AAP
The differences between owners and the growing number of renters, and between rural and urban areas, point to explanations other than affordability for the one-in-two Australians who are underinsured.
Yes, giant mosquitoes are a thing. They're specialized to wait out the dry times only to emerge from their eggs when high water provides the perfect larval environment.
Flooding is an annual reality across Nigeria.
George Esirii/EPA
As Hurricane Florence is expected to pound the Carolinas with significant flooding, an insurance expert explains how the program designed to help the millions affected recover.
The Akaki river runs through central Addis Ababa.
Magnus Franklin/Flickr