Spatio-temporal characteristics of global flood disasters during 1980—2020

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal evolution of global flood disasters, we conducted an in-depth analysis using mathematical statistics and GIS spatial analysis methods. Leveraging long-term global historical flood data spanning from 1980 to 2020 and considering various spatial scales, as well as inter-decadal and inter-annual time scales, our findings revealed the following : ① The peak occurrence of global flood disasters took place in the first decade of the 21st century. Deaths and affected populations reached their zenith in the 1990s, while cumulative economic losses peaked in the 2010s, with average economic losses being highest during the 1990s and 2010s. ② Over the period from 1980 to 2020, both the frequency of flood disasters and the resulting economic losses exhibited notable upward trends, while population losses per disaster demonstrated a declining pattern. ③ Asia experienced pronounced flooding, contributing to 41%, 68%, 95%, and 63% of the global totals in terms of flood occurrences, deaths, affected populations, and economic losses, respectively. Despite this, several Asian countries, including China, displayed a decreasing trend in flood-related population losses. ④ Global flood disasters displayed an east-west distribution, with a discernible southward shift in the centers of disasters. There was a tendency for flood disasters to become more decentralized, impacting progressively broader regions.