Featured Speaker Webinar with Prof. John Gibson

Why It Matters

Without coordinated public‑private action, flood‑prone urban hubs will face escalating economic losses, threatening investment returns and fiscal stability across the region.

Key Takeaways

• Flood risk exposure varies by urban vulnerability and preparedness
• Most flood losses remain uninsured, increasing fiscal burdens on governments
• Economic activity concentrates in flood-prone low‑lying cities despite risks
• Adaptation requires credit, insurance, and secure property rights for households
• Managed retreat and green infrastructure can reduce future flood damages

Summary

Professor John Gibson, a development economist, presented research on flood adaptation and urban vulnerability, highlighting how climate‑related disasters increasingly threaten economic security in Asian cities.

He noted that flood damage costs are projected to double, with most losses uninsured and many uninsurable due to correlated shocks. In 2024 alone, nearly 20 million people were displaced by major floods that affected over 10 million across the region.

Examples ranged from the 2010 Christchurch earthquake—where vulnerability, not magnitude, dictated fatalities—to Bangkok’s repeated inundations despite its growing share of Thailand’s GDP, and a New Zealand managed‑retreat case where taxpayers funded relocation from flood plains.

The findings underscore the urgency for governments, insurers, and developers to invest in credit‑accessible insurance, secure land rights, and green infrastructure, as private markets retreat and fiscal pressures mount.

Original Description

Why do some cities recover quickly after floods while others remain trapped in cycles of risk?

Join development economist John Gibson, professor at the University of Waikato, for a discussion on new research examining how urban areas adapt to climate-driven flooding. Based on research data from more than 700 cities, Professor Gibson’s research challenges the common assumption that flooded areas quickly bounce back, and reveals how economic insecurity can limit people’s ability to relocate or rebuild.