Warming climate changing global flood risks

With a warming climate, the atmosphere holds more moisture and greater flood risks, according to new research published in Nature Climate Change.

Scientists have compiled 11 climate models to drive a global hydrodynamic model of precipitation, evaporation, and flooding. They then used this model to predict areas that are most likely to experience more floods and damage in the 21st century.

Major river basins such as those in Southeast Asia, eastern Africa and the northern Andes are likely to see a large increase in flooding. In contrast, some areas such as the central U.S. and Eastern Europe are predicted to see a decrease in flood risk.

The scientists found that predicted flooding depended on the amount of warming, with warmer climate predictions resulting in more predicted flooding.

Image:  Flooding in India (Credit: Miramurphy, via Wikimedia Commons)