Flood mortality in SE Asia: Can palaeo-historical information help save lives?

• Main Authors: ZIEGLER, Alan D., LIM, H. S., WASSON, Robert J., WILLIAMSON, Fiona
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2020
• Subjects: Asia; floods; risk; resilience; historical studies; Asian Studies; Physical and Environmental Geography; Iceland
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3296; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4558&context=soss_research

Asia is one of the world's most flood-prone regions by many metrics: high flood magnitudes, frequency, severity; the number countries affected, the area of inundation; the number of people at risk; and importantly, flood-related fatalities (AIR, 2014; Luo, Maddoks, Iceland, Ward, & Winsemius, 2015; Table 1). We explore the idea that flood-related mortality from river over-bank flows in the SE Asian region could be reduced by incorporating evidence from the past to foster a better understanding of the realm of plausible flood regimes, and hopefully guide improved flood hazard management practices in the future (Lebel, Manuta, & Garden, 2011).