That’s 10 times more than scientists previously thought, and it’s due to both increased flooding and population migration. This marks an increase of the population inside flood-prone regions to as many as 86 million people.

The study in Nature used direct satellite observations of floods, rather than the standard modeled estimates.

“Using satellite observation data of floods with improved spatial-temporal resolution will help policymakers understand where flood impacts are changing and how best to adapt,” says study leader Elizabeth Tellman, assistant professor in the University of Arizona’s School of Geography, Development, and Environment in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

Tellman conducts research on the causes and consequences of global environment change on vulnerable populations and is also the chief science officer and co-founder of Cloud to Street, a global flood tracking and risk analytics platform for disaster managers and insurers.

Cloud to Street hosts the Global Flood Database, the database behind the Nature paper and the largest and most accurate dataset of observed floods ever produced, providing a new view into the true scope of flooding. Powered by twice-daily, global satellite imaging, the Global Flood Database has mapped and analyzed 913 flood events in 169 countries since 2000.

Read the full article about population migration and flooding by Lori Harwood at Futurity.