FFEM, the dataset of flood fatalities in the Euro-Mediterranean Region (1980-2024): results and perspectives

This contribution presents the recently published version 2.0 of the Database of Flood Fatalities in the Euro-Mediterranean Region (FFEM-DB 2.0), a multinational dataset documenting 3,737 flood-related fatalities that occurred between 1980 and 2024 across 16 territories (12 corresponding to entire countries). The new release significantly extends the spatial and temporal coverage of the previous version, updating records through December 31, 2024, incorporating four additional study areas, and introducing an event identifier that enables event-based analyses and comparability with international disaster databases.

Key results derived from FFEM-DB 2.0 are presented with a focus on the main variables collected, including victims’ demographic characteristics, accident locations, and circumstances of fatal events. The standardized and harmonized structure of the database allows for consistent cross-regional analyses at the scale of Local Administrative Units, supporting the identification of recurrent patterns and differences in flood mortality across the Euro-Mediterranean region.

Particular attention is devoted to future developments of the database. Ongoing efforts aim at both continuous temporal updating and further geographical expansion to additional territories. Furthermore, new perspectives include the integration of emerging digital archives and the systematic exploitation of heterogeneous data sources available for the last two decades, such as online news repositories and institutional records. In this context, artificial intelligence techniques as natural language processing and automated information extraction, are expected to play a key role in improving data collection, enhancing completeness, and accelerating database updates. Owing to its open and scalable structure, FFEM-DB is therefore positioned as an evolving framework for advancing research and monitoring flood-related mortality in Europe and beyond.