India, Feb. 18 -- Extreme rainfall, exacerbated by climate change and aging infrastructure were key factors behind the catastrophic flood disaster in Derna, Libya, in September 2023, a new study has revealed.

The research, conducted by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH) and published in the journal Natural Hazards, highlighted the vulnerability of Libya's infrastructure to extreme weather events.

In the northeastern city of Derna, Storm Daniel, which exhibited characteristics of tropical cyclones, triggered a record-breaking precipitation event on September 10, 2023, with up to 400 millimetres of rainfall in just 24 hours. The unprecedented deluge caused the collapse of two embankment ...