India at highest risk from river floods in world: study
March 05, 2015  22:56
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India is at the highest risk from river floods in the world, with an increasing number of people threatened by climate change and economic growth in low-lying regions, according to a new study. 

The US-based World Resources Institute think-tank and four Dutch research groups estimated that some 21 million people worldwide were affected by river flooding in a year. 

"That number could increase to 54 million in 2030 due to climate change and socio-economic development," a report by Institute for Environmental Studies of the VU University Amsterdam said.

In India, approximately 4.84 million people get affected by floods in a typical year, the study said. 

The top 15 countries, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and China, account for nearly 80 per cent of the total population affected every year, it said. 

These countries are all considered least developed or developing. Roughly 167,000 people in the US, the highest-ranked high-income country, are affected every year by floods, the study said.
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