Indians in Flood-Prone Slums

Indians in Flood-Prone Slums: Recently, a groundbreaking study published in Nature Cities revealed that India has the highest number of slum dwellers living in floodplains worldwide, over 158 million people, surpassing the entire population of Russia.

• Key Findings: 33% of informal settlements in the Global South lie in flood-exposed areas, affecting around 445 million people across 67,500 clusters.

  o 2.3 billion people globally are exposed to flooding annually (Moody’s 2024).

  o Countries with the highest concentrations of slum dwellers in floodplains include India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Brazil, Rwanda, and parts of North Africa.

  • India-Specific Findings: Most vulnerable settlements are concentrated in the Gangetic delta, a naturally flood-prone region.

  o 600 million people in India are at risk of coastal or inland flooding.

  o 40% of India’s slum dwellers reside in urban and suburban areas.

  o Cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata show a strong correlation between informal settlements and flood-prone areas.