It might be a surprise that one of the world's most economically powerful cities, Shanghai, is also one of the most vulnerable to flooding. Mark Kinver, of BBC News, reports on a new study appearing in the journal Natural Hazards that states as much. "Despite its economic wealth, the Chinese city is considered to be more exposed to the risk of flooding than much poorer cities such as Dhaka."
Called the "Coastal City Flood Vulnerability Index (CCFVI)", the study measured exposure, susceptibility and resilience to coastal flooding. "These included the percentage of a city's population living close to the coastline; the amount of time needed for a city to recover from flooding; the amount of uncontrolled development along the coastline, as well as the volume of measures to physically prevent floodwater entering a city."
