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Urban flooding represents a critical development challenge worldwide. Currently, hundreds of millions of people, particularly in vulnerable communities, face increasing risks from flooding events. These floods can have severe consequences, including contamination of water sources, spread of waterborne diseases, significant economic disruption, and property damage from water, debris, and sediment. Most critically, flooding events continue to endanger human lives across the globe.

The causes and impacts of urban flooding are evolving rapidly. Urban development pressures have led to expansion into flood-prone areas, both riverine and coastal, often in violation of zoning regulations and disrupting natural drainage patterns. This situation is further exacerbated by rapid urbanization, population growth, and the impacts of climate change. These combined factors are not only altering flood patterns but also amplifying their negative impacts on communities.

Building urban resilience against flooding requires strategic investment in flood protection infrastructure, with a particular focus on safeguarding vulnerable populations. It is essential to protect critical infrastructure and implement preventive measures to minimize impacts on public health and local economies. In response to these challenges, municipalities and governments globally are adopting innovative approaches, integrated flood management strategies, and sustainable investment in resilient infrastructure.

The seventh Cities on the Frontline session of 2024, a collaborative effort between the Resilient Cities Network, the GFDRR, and the World Bank Group City Resilience Program, addressed these critical issues. The session showcased data and modeling tools for flood risk assessment, examined the relationship between flooding and socioeconomic vulnerability, and presented valuable case studies from Austria and Tanzania on scalable, cost-effective flood prevention strategies.