A global movement to save lives and livelihoods when floods strike is to enter a second phase

A global movement to save lives and livelihoods when floods strike is to enter a second phase.

Over the next five years, the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance will be focusing on attracting and building investment in flood resilience.

Practical Action will again be partnering with Zurich Insurance and other leading organisations from the academic and humanitarian development sector – to lead cutting-edge research, action and policy influence around floods and resilience.

Chris Anderson, Programme Manager at Practical Action said “We’re delighted to be working with the Zurich Group and the other Flood Resilience Alliance partners for another five years to understand and strengthen flood resilience of poor and vulnerable people globally. Having this timeframe and the flexibility of funding on offer from the Zurich Foundation enables us to build on the flood resilience successes we have achieved so far in Nepal, Bangladesh and Peru and to influence key political processes globally.“

The Alliance was set up in response to staggering statistics which show floods affect an average of 250 million people per year – more people globally than any other type of natural hazard.

The poorest communities suffer most as repeated disasters undermine their potential to develop and trap them in a cycle of poverty. Flood risk is increasing due to growing populations, erratic rainfall patterns caused by climate change and unsustainable land use practices.

The Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance is focused on shifting from recovery after flooding, to flood preparedness and resilience. Building resilience allows vulnerable populations to continue to thrive even during a disaster.

During the last first five years as part of the Flood Resilience Alliance, Practical Action has:

• Reduced the loss of lives and livelihoods due to flooding
• Strengthened flood Early Warning Systems
• Built community led flood mitigation infrastructure
• Increased awareness of Disaster Risk Reduction risks at local and national levels

The Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance is a multi-sector alliance which brings together the humanitarian sector, academia and Zurich’s risk management expertise. The Alliance is formed of Practical Action, Concern Worldwide, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC), Mercy Corps, Plan International, International Institute for Applied Systems and Analysis (IIASA), the London School of Economics and the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition-International (ISET).