Database backup and recovery in web application development is crucial for ensuring data integrity and business continuity. The best practices include regular backups, testing backups, securing backups, creating a backup strategy, monitoring backups, and having a disaster recovery plan in place. Regular backups should be performed to capture all the changes in the database. Testing backups ensures their integrity and recoverability. Securing backups involves encrypting them to prevent unauthorized access. A backup strategy defines the frequency, retention period, and location of backups. Monitoring backups helps to detect any failures or issues. A disaster recovery plan outlines procedures for restoring databases and getting systems back online as quickly as possible.