Abstract
Abstract. In light of climate change and growing numbers of people inhabiting riverine floodplains, worldwide demand for flood protection is increasing, typically through engineering approaches such as more and bigger levees. However, the well-documented “levee effect” of increased floodplain use following levee construction or enhancement often results in increased problems, especially when levees fail or are compromised by big flood events. Herein, we argue that there are also unintended socio-economic and ecological consequences of traditional engineering solutions that need to be better considered, communicated and weighed against alternative solutions. Socio-economic consequences include reduced aesthetic and recreational values as well as increased downstream flooding risk and reduced ecosystem services. Ecological consequences include hydraulic decoupling, loss of biodiversity and increased risk of contamination during flooding. In addition, beyond river losses of connectivity and natural riparian vegetation created by levees, changes in groundwater levels and increased greenhouse gas emissions are likely. Because flood protection requires huge financial investments and results in major and persistent changes to the landscape, more balanced decisions that involve all stakeholders and policymakers should be made in the future. This requires a transdisciplinary approach that considers alternative solutions such as green infrastructure and places emphasis on integrated flood management rather than on reliance on technical protection measures.
Highlights
Flood protection is high on political agendas worldwide, especially given that climate change is projected to increase the frequency, severity and extent of floods (Milly et al, 2002; Huntington, 2006)
Di Baldassarre et al (2013, 2018) pointed out that construction of flood-control levees may have unintended and undesired socio-economic consequences. They attribute this to the levee effect of White (1945) whereby, paradoxically, flood-control structures might even increase flood risk; once levees are built to protect assets such as homes, farms, and commercial buildings from flooding, the sense of security they provide results in more assets being located behind the levees
In agreement with Di Baldassarre et al (2013) but expanding their view to include ecological and economic aspects, we propose a transdisciplinary approach to address the interrelated, complex and dynamic social, hydrological, ecological and economic challenges on floodplains
Summary
Flood protection is high on political agendas worldwide, especially given that climate change is projected to increase the frequency, severity and extent of floods (Milly et al, 2002; Huntington, 2006). Di Baldassarre et al (2013, 2018) pointed out that construction of flood-control levees may have unintended and undesired socio-economic consequences. They attribute this to the levee effect of White (1945) whereby, paradoxically, flood-control structures might even increase flood risk; once levees are built to protect assets such as homes, farms, and commercial buildings from flooding, the sense of security they provide results in more assets being located behind the levees. The perceived need to further improve levees increases as well, when it is realized that levees do not completely prevent flood events but mainly increase the return interval of large floods. Other options are available to meet the multitude of society’s demands for river services (Opperman et al, 2017)
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