A Global Data Set for Economic Losses of Extreme Hydrological Events During 1960-2014

A comprehensive data set of extreme hydrological events (EHEs)—floods and droughts, consisting of 2,171 occurrences worldwide, during 1960-2014 was compiled, and then their economic losses were normalized using a price index in U.S. dollar. The data set showed a significant increasing trend of EHEs before 2000, while a slight post-2000 decline. Correspondingly, the EHE-caused economic losses increased obviously before 2000 followed by a slight decrease; the post-2000 decline could be partially attributed to the decreases in drought and flood-prone area or climate adaptation practices. Spatially, Asia experienced most EHEs (969), corresponding to the largest share of economic losses (approximately $868 billion for floods and $50 billion for droughts, respectively), while Oceania had the least EHEs (102) and the least economic losses (approximately $19 billion for floods and $45 billion for droughts). The five countries with the highest EHE-caused economic losses were China, United States, Canada, Australia, and India. Countries that suffered the highest flood-caused economic losses were China, United States, and Canada. This data set provides a quantitative linkage between climate science and economic losses at a global scale, and it is beneficial for the regional climatic impact assessments and strategical development for mitigating climate change impacts.