Floodplain Land Use Research Articles

Role of Economics in Planning Flood Plain Land Use

Economic factors can be employed to formulate a plan combining nonstructural with structural measures for flood control. Planning decisions on whether development should be permitted in a flood plain can be integrated with decisions on how to arrange, design, use, and maintain those developments that are permitted. In order to illustrate the computational approach for establishing planning guidelines, a hypothetical simplified situation is examined in a procedure described step by step in a numerical example. References are made to literature and computer programs for dealing with data gathering and analysis in more complex, real world situations.

An economic model of floodplain land use and land use policy

A landowner in a floodplain must choose a way to use his land from n available alternative activities. We develop a model that describes that choice as a function of the probability of a flood when the criterion is expected present value. We show the expected present value calculations for four simple benefit stream patterns: no‐decay, one‐hoss shay, experimental decay, and delayed benefits. Within this model we define and discuss several often elusive concepts: the damage due to one flood, the hazard due to being in the floodplain, and the benefits of flood probability reduction. We then show the relationship between the benefits of flood control and damage reduction, and point out that they are not identical. With this model we have a common framework for comparing such disparate flood relief and control policies as floodplain zoning and flood relief measures. Finally we show the misallocative effects of simple flood relief policies.

A Recursive Programing Model for Nonstructural Flood Damage Control

This paper deals with floodplain land use management approaches for urban flood damage control. These alternatives are important because traditional flood control projects, such as levees, channel improvements, and reservoirs, are not always capable of correcting the physical and economic conditions that give rise to flood damage. It is expected that land use management will complement engineering works and lead to more effective use and development of floodplain lands. The paper presents a computational technique for evaluating alternative land use assignments based upon the economic value a community gains from its land. A linear programing model is developed that identifies economically efficient combinations of (1) spatial and temporal planning of urban land use, (2) site elevation through landfill, and (3) flood proofing of buildings.