Adaptation 10 - July edition (Flood)

The visual narrative of climate change is shifting. Stock images of desiccated earth and parched landscapes have been replaced in the popular imagination by real-world pictures of near-apocalyptic floods.

There’s no shortage of them, either. Germany is experiencing its wettest year on record, and has suffered inundation after inundation in recent months. These have claimed lives, displaced thousands, and caused well over one billion euros in damages. In 2023, Vermont in the US was struck by catastrophic flooding, and another destructive bout crippled the state just this month. The Pakistan floods of 2022 dwarfed all these and more. That disaster turned 30 million people into refugees, killed over 1,000, and inflicted at least $30 billion in losses.

Our changing climate is making flooding catastrophes far more likely and far more dangerous. To understand why, think of the atmosphere as a sponge. It can carry vast amounts of water, but how much precisely depends on its temperature. In a hotter world there’s more evaporation, more water vapor is held in our air. In fact, for every 1-degree Celsius (1.8°F) of warming, the atmosphere can hold about 7% more water vapor.

This wetter air charges rainstorms with more water. After all, the more saturated a sponge, the more water it releases when squeezed.

These more ferocious storms are more than a match for much of the world’s outdated infrastructure. This is a big reason why countries are suffering from more frequent and intense pluvial (surface water) flooding events. Towns, cities, and rural areas have not been constructed to handle catastrophes of this magnitude.

Climate change is also contributing to another major source of flooding – storm surge. Higher temperatures are causing polar ice to melt at an alarming rate, leading to sea-level rise. From this higher tidal baseline powerful winds can push water further inland, overwhelming traditional coastal defenses.? Although the science is clear, humanity’s response to these escalating flood risks has proven inadequate so far. Following the floods in Germany, Bavaria’s Premier, Markus S?der, said “nobody could have expected” floods and damage on this scale. He was wrong. Meteorologists have been warning of such extreme weather events for years.

However, though many of our leaders are falling short when it comes to responding to flood risks, plenty of businesses are working to address this challenge. We explore some of these in this month’s Adaptation10.??

Enjoy the report – and stay dry out there!

Daniel & Louie

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Floodframe | Protection

FloodFrame specializes in discreet flood protection for private properties. It offers an innovative solution involving a waterproof fabric, which is installed in the ground around a home. This fabric automatically deploys when water approaches, providing immediate protection.? A unique aspect of the solution is its inconspicuousness. The fabric, stored in a buried container, seamlessly integrates into the property, remaining hidden until activated by encroaching flood waters. This passive deployment ensures that even in the absence of homeowners or during power outages, the house remains protected

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Floodmapp?| live flood mapping

Floodmapp provides street-level flood intelligence before, during, and after an event. Their ForeCast service predicts where floods will occur and estimates their impact, aiding officials in coordinating evacuations, managing dams, and allocating resources efficiently. NowCast offers real-time flood impact visualizations, which are crucial during ongoing events to help coordinate rescue efforts, problem-solve for transportation, and manage infrastructure. PostCast assesses flood damage after an event, improving the allocation of resources and helping communities recover faster. All three products are distributed through a data-as-a-service model and are designed to be integrated into existing Geographic Information System (GIS) software

Previsico | Mitigating Flood Risk

Previsico, a UK company, provides early, actionable flood warnings through advanced forecasting and monitoring technologies. Their services encompass preparation, prevention, and monitoring for surface water flooding events, aiming to bridge gaps in existing early warning systems. While most established systems focus on flooding risks from large rivers and oceans, Previsico targets smaller streams, storm runoff, and other often overlooked triggers of surface water flooding. Previsico delivers timely warnings of flooding events to financial institutions, property owners, power plants, housing associations, and more. This proactive approach helps protect lives and property, reduce economic losses, and support communities in building strong flood defences

7 more Flood StartUps here:

Illustrative story on flood resilience with 10 solutions presented

Our ten innovative startups, each with their own specialty, have the potential to pre-warn, prepare, and protect communities from climate-driven flood events. Let’s take a closer look:

FloodFrame has developed a home flood protection system that’s automatically triggered when waters rise. Utilizing smart design and innovative technology, it responds quickly to shield properties from sudden inundations.

Floodmapp offers precise flood forecasting and monitoring. Their sophisticated algorithms predict how far floods will spread inland, enabling timely action.

Previsico is another forecaster. It focuses on reducing the impact of floods by predicting how they will behave.

(Get more info here)... specializes in emergency drones that can be quickly deployed to provide aerial assistance and information during flood events.

(Get more info here)... is making parametric flood insurance possible through its advanced flood maps.

(Get more info here)... automatic Flood Barriers uses advanced systems that rapidly respond to rising water levels, providing effective flood damage mitigation.

(Get more info here)... constructs 3D printed sea walls offering natural solutions to protect properties from floods and waves. Their sustainable designs create new types of flood protection.

(Get more info here)... offers cost-effective real-time flood monitoring using outdoor IoT sensors to protect properties. Their innovative technologies provide early warnings to minimize damage.

(Get more info here)... provides IoT sensors for detecting water at various locations within buildings, helping to prevent and minimize water damage.

(Get more info here)... supplies data for future property owners, banks, and insurance companies to assess flood risks in specific areas and take preventive measures.

Together, these ten startups are working to mitigate the impacts of climate change and increasing flood risks. Through their innovation and dedication, they contribute to making the world safer and more resilient to the effects of climate change.