**8. Flooding and flood-related events**

Over the past several decades, floods have become a growing problem throughout the world [158, 159]. This has been especially problematic among low-lying areas of the planet, including large river deltas [160–164], and thought to be associated with rising sea levels [165–167]. It has been estimated that roughly 40-50% of environmental disasters are due to floods, and there is also a significant correlation between flooding and wind disasters [165–168]. From IHS perspective, floods may lead to drinking water contamination and associated increases in water borne and diarrheal diseases [169, 170]. It is therefore vital that we understand how to address and prevent deleterious public health consequences associated with flooding, inclusive of additional focus on a plethora of downstream effects of flooding on human populations [171–174].

In addition to immediate loss of life and property, there is a noticeable increase in diarrheal diseases, and studies suggest that there may also be an increased risk of all-cause mortality during the year following a flooding event [175, 176].

*Impact of Climate Change on International Health Security: An Intersection of Complexity… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96713*

This troubling trend can be further exacerbated when flooding occurs in the presence of human overcrowding [176]. Of importance in this particular context, when planning and preparing for natural disasters it is important to understand the ecosystem of communicable diseases within the region and understand the vectors that may come into play. Effective management of flooding and subsequent post-event recovery requires proper sanitation, clean water supply at shelters/temporary housing for displaced individuals, as well as adequate control of disease vectors (e.g., rodents, mosquitoes) [177, 178]. Consequently, preventing contamination of standing water with mosquitoes should be priority during a flooding event [179, 180]. Governments planning for natural calamities, including floods and wind disasters, should ensure that appropriate supplies of clean water and food are readily available to large number of individuals. At the same time, it is also important to educate individuals on the importance of proper food and water preparation, through boiling, during any natural disaster that may potentially affect water supply [181–184].
