In 2022, researchers from across the Euro-Mediterranean region launched the multinational Database of Flood Fatalities (FFEM-DB). This is designed to collect critical data on flood-related fatalities across different regions..
This database includes information from 1980 to 2020 of 2,875 deaths across 12 regions. The data covers various aspects of each incident—such as the profiles of those affected, the locations of fatalities, and the circumstances surrounding each event.
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By gathering this information, FFEM-DB helps to explore how different factors, like demographics, behaviour, and situational conditions, contribute to flood fatalities. Find out more
Work in 2025 is underway to update and expand the database to include data up until 2024 and add specific behavioural data to gain deeper insights into how people’s actions impact on their safety during floods.
AI is being used to sift through large volumes of data, analyse patterns, and assist researchers in handling sensitive information about individuals affected by such tragedies.
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Ethical Issues
Activity: Consider the following issues
What measures should be taken to protect the privacy of individuals whose flood-related behaviours are being analysed, particularly when the data involves sensitive personal or demographic information?
Could the use of AI to analyse and interpret flood-related behaviours unintentionally perpetuate victim-blaming or stigmatization of individuals who may have made certain decisions during a disaster (e.g., choosing not to evacuate)?
How can researchers avoid creating unfair or inaccurate representations of populations based on potentially incomplete or biased data?
To what extent can AI reliably extract accurate behavioral data from informal sources like newspapers, blogs, or social media, which may contain subjective opinions or misinformation about flood events?
The FFEM-DB database
The FFEM-DB database is publicly available, data can be downloaded from 4TU.ResearchData.
Data has been collected from public sources, including national media and other relevant databases. :
The database contains anonymised data to protect the privacy of individuals and their families.
It is being used to promote risk awareness and support risk reduction strategies. Find out more
Through AI, it is possible to improve the accuracy and efficiency of data collection and analysis, making it a crucial tool in understanding and mitigating flood fatalities.