Long-Term Evolution of Floods in the World and Russia

We have established a comprehensive digital archive documenting global and Russian Federation flood data. This archive catalogs up to 13 natural parameters and socio-economic damage characteristics for each event. Using various sources, we identified 4044 floods occurring within a 20-year timeframe, from 1998 to 2017, coinciding with a temperature fluctuation of approximately 0.5°C. Despite this extensive dataset, conclusive assertions regarding the correlation between global warming and flood frequency remain elusive. At the same time, changes in the average values of their “natural” parameters per flood indicate statistically significant long-term variations. Notably, floods are extending into more distant regions from the equator, and their average duration is increasing. These trends hold for floods of various origins, whether triggered by abnormal precipitation or spring–summer snowmelt. Humanitarian impacts such as evacuations, fatalities, and overall affected populations appear to be decreasing, possibly attributable to improved living conditions and enhanced emergency response mechanisms. Additionally, this study provides insights specific to Russia’s territory and seven distinct flood-prone regions worldwide and within the Russian Federation.