Shanghai most exposed to flood risk

Shanghai has topped a list of the world’s major cities that are most exposed to the risks of flooding.

A study, carried out by scientists from the UK and the Netherlands, developed a Coastal City Flood Vulnerability Index (CCFVI) based on cities’ exposure, susceptibility and resilience to coastal flooding. Details of the research can be found in the journal Natural Hazards.

Co-author Prof Nigel Wright told BBC News that the CCFVI used a range of data that consisted of 19 components:

“We still use the physical ones but also economic and social ones, such as how much attention is given by local or national governments to protect citizens and citizens’ property through investing in various forms of resilience.”

The study focused on nine coastal cities built on river deltas, including Shanghai, Buenos Aires, Calcutta, Casablanca, Dhaka and Rotterdam.