As shell shocked Congolese sift through rubble, looking for bodies and belongings in flood-ravaged Kinshasa, it feels like an eerie repeat of the deadly floods that brought Pakistan to its knees just months ago. The DRC is not alone in this struggle. Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon and surrounding African states have suffered deadly floods in 2022, with a report from World Weather Attribution finding that climate change made the torrential rains and floods 80 times more likely. Other continents are grappling with flood emergencies, too: parts of Australia are receiving summertime flood warnings, shortly after a spate of destructive rainfall in New South Wales and Victoria. The United States is still reeling from a “summer of floods” which saw at least four flooding events cascade across an 11-day span from late July to early August.
While the fight against climate change rages on, periods of intensified rainfall is something all corners of the globe seem stuck contending with. Researchers have continued to develop and refine all facets of flood-related responses, devising a comprehensive suite of investments that governments can make to safeguard their nation.
From preventative measures limiting a flood’s impact to educational responses to smarter rebuilding, states have options to limit the damage.
