ABSTRACT

Although water managers, policy makers and engineers are generally aware of the hazards that are exposed by floods, and although average and general numbers are known in their own region of work, many questions and facts remain unsolved and are not revealed when it concerns floods and flooding on a global scale. How many major flood events occur on an annual basis? How are these events distributed over the continents? What is the main cause of these floods? How large are the areas affected? This is just a sample of questions on which this overview attempts to give an indication to initiate discussions on e.g. policy making, mitigation and coping strategies.