Saving lives and livelihoods
The urgent need to invest in flood resilience
Floods affect more people globally than any other type of natural hazard, with over 734 million people affected by floods in the last ten years. Global warming is increasing the severity of flooding, with negative impacts on livelihoods and countries’ ability to reach development objectives.
There are preventive measures that can build flood resilience, but these are significantly under-resourced, and when we fail to invest in risk reduction, these hazards become disasters with devastating consequences.
This policy brief from the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance, of which Mercy Corps is a member, makes clear the need for donors and national governments to act urgently to increase funding at the local level, so communities can protect themselves from the devastating impacts of floods and other hazards.
