Giacomo Falchetta, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
There’s a consensus that extreme hydrological events will increase throughout the continent. This will lead to growing issues with power system reliability.
New or improved flood protection can give a false sense of security – the so-called ‘levee effect’. But climate change is unpredictable, meaning ‘residual risk’ always exists and must be planned for.
With average insurance premiums up 28% in the past year, there’s growing pressure on the insurance industry to rethink its opposition to a government-owned and run disaster reinsurance pool.
Some were quick to point the finger at climate change when floods hit eastern Australia in February and March 2022, in the lead up to the federal election. But it’s not that simple, scientists say.
Australia’s beloved billabongs and waterholes are in danger of filling up with eroded soil from farms, leaving little room for the aquatic animals that depend on these vital drought refuges.
When the roads flooded around Lismore, it left supermarket shelves empty for months. Keeping everyone fed took a huge community effort. Now we need to make food supply secure.
FEMA runs the largest managed retreat program in the country, Two disaster response experts looked at the demographics of who gets those buyouts and where they go.
Yes, we need better flood warnings. But most of us don’t or can’t evacuate from floods. Safety means focusing on community resilience as well as warnings
Recognizing the challenges posed by climate-induced displacement is important. But officials must avoid rhetoric about displaced people that can fuel xenophobia.
Emilie Vallee, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Barry Borman, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University; Deborah Read, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University, and Masako Wada, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University
Floods are often followed by waves of diseases because pathogens shed by animals can survive in flood waters for days, raising the risk of infection for humans.
Building on floodplains was never a good idea and climate change makes matters worse. But in Queensland, Voluntary Home Buybacks are working for Ipswich, a year on from the devastating floods.