The water/health nexus in disaster medicine: I. Drought versus flood

Water is a quintessential necessity of life; disasters are an unfortunate fact of life. The nexus of water and human health in Disaster Medicine is an important area of scientific inquiry because the incidence of disasters and their adverse effects on human populations are increasing exponentially worldwide. Whether it is in life-threatening short supply (drought), overabundance (floods, tsunamis and storm surges) or contaminated as a result of a disaster, water can have highly significant health effects on already distressed populations. In this, the first of two articles, the effects of drought and various types of flooding on human health are contrasted. Particularly in developing countries, water security is problematic and international collaboration is required to mitigate water-related adverse health effects.