By early August 2010, two weeks of devastating monsoon rains had trans- formed the landscape of Pakistan, pushing rivers over their banks, inun- dating villages, washing away bridges and roads, destroying crops, and kill- ing livestock. By August 12, 2010, more than 1,600 people had perished, ac- cording to news reports, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) esti- mated that more than 14 million people had been affected in some way.

NASA images courtesy the MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC. Caption by Michon Scott.

Nowhere in the world are so many people affected so much by floods as in Asia – between 80 and 100 million people are every year considered vulnerabl e or affected directly or indirectly by floods in Asia.

Regional flood vulnerability

People affected by floods in 2009 Flash floods

General floods Asia

Countries most affected by floods in the last 10 years

Note: the size of the circles is proportional to the values shown.

Americas

Pacific Ocean

Europe 42 000

Pacific Ocean

Africa

Atlantic Ocean

Oceania 27 000

Indian Ocean

Source: "EM-DAT, The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database.

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