In the aftermath of the devastating floods that hit eastern Australia in early 2022, affected residents were left with serious questions about the country’s resilience to intensifying extreme weather events and the institutions tasked with mopping up afterwards.
Floods in Australia are expected to happen more often, for longer, and with more intensity, owing to climate change. It is a matter of when, not if, the next destructive flood hits — and lives depend on strengthening the long-term resilience of health and social services across the country.
The 2022 floods across areas of New South Wales and south-east Queensland brought death, housing and infrastructure damage, and disruptions to healthcare and other important services. Flooding can kill through drowning, injuries, poisonings and infections.
