Integrated Flood Risk Management Research Articles

The role of local stakeholder participation in flood defence decisions in the United Kingdom and Germany

An important aspect of integrated flood risk management (FRM) around the world is accepted as being the involvement of a range of stakeholders in flood‐related decision‐making processes. Achieving local stakeholder participation in ways that lead to the expected benefits is burdened by challenges and difficulties. By drawing on examples of practices of local stakeholder participation in FRM in two European countries, the United Kingdom and Germany, this paper aims to understand the extent to which local stakeholders are able to influence FRM. Empirically, the paper focuses on flood defence planning and implementation‐related decisions as they still remain the dominant approach of managing flood risks in those locations. The findings from the two case studies show that involvement of local stakeholders in decisions related to flood defence schemes is limited and likely to lead to conflict and frustration as well as, potentially, a strengthening of inequalities. These lessons have implications for the United Kingdom and Germany as well as for other locations around the world.

Identifying and quantifying landowner perspectives on integrated flood risk management

Understanding landowner perspectives on flood mitigation is an essential step towards minimising conflict and ensuring public support and compliance. To illuminate landowner perspectives on flood mitigation and the drivers of those perspectives, we surveyed landowners in the Deerfield River Watershed, Massachusetts (USA). Confirmatory factor analysis shows landowners differentiate between the physical and the policy pathways through which flood mitigation strategies provide protection. Multiple regression analyses indicate landowner support or opposition for each of those pathways is related both to the risks a landowner faces and to their broad worldviews. Lastly, cluster analysis indicates variation in patterns landowner of support or opposition to the physical and policy pathways through which flood mitigation provides protection. Findings point to how issues beyond flood impacts, including understandings of riverine processes, assessments of responsibility, and interpretations of the relationship between government and private property drive landowner perspectives on flood mitigation policies.

Impact analysis of flood in Accra, Ghana

Within the past decades, flooding has become a global pandemic, which hampers economic and social development. This global phenomenon has led to loss of lives and economic damages in many countries including Ghana. On June 3rd 2015, Accra, Ghana's capital experienced an unprecedented flash flood event, coupled with an explosion at a Goil filling station that resulted in a death toll of over 152 lives. It is therefore necessary to explore new ideas and approaches that can be incorporated to existing structures to manage this problem. The aim of this study is to analyse the underlying causes of flood in Accra, examine the suitable structural measures that can be undertaken to mitigate flood impacts in Accra, and propose a mitigation approach to manage flood impacts using Integrated Flood Risk Management and Sustainable Flood Management. The Intensity of rainfall events in eight drainage basins in Accra namely; Kpeshie, Korle, Densu, Sakumo, Lafa, Osu, Songo Mokwe and Chemu triggers flash floods due to a short response time and high specific peak discharges. Precipitation patterns in Accra have changed considerably within this few decades. According to IPCC scenario B1, A1B, and A2 forecasting, there will be an increase in the average monthly precipitation from 160 mm in 1991-2010 to 200 mm in 2011-2020 respectively. A ten (10) year flood protection level was employed to model the rate of urban damage, estimate affected Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the population at risk in Accra

Flood risk perception, coping and management in two vulnerable communities in Kumasi, Ghana

Flooding has become an imminent and disruptive threat in many cities around the world. In developing/emerging economies, cities are often more vulnerable to the impacts of flooding. For example, in Accra, Ghana, recently over 150 people perished in a flash flood. The high casualty rate was a consequence of the lack of a well-developed integrated flood risk management plan and exacerbated by weak institutions, slums, urban sprawl and informal land / property management. To this effect, high risk countries like Ghana are in need of urgent development of systematic mitigation measures to engender community resilience (CS). Using the combined qualitative technique of Phenomenological Studies (PS) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), the flood risk perception, coping and management strategies of two vulnerable communities in the second largest city of Ghana, Kumasi are examined and evaluated for evidence of a sense of community resilience through social responsibility. The findings suggest that the two urban communities are aware they are at high risk to flooding and live in a constant state of anxiety during the wet seasons. However, there is no evidence of any systematic coping and management strategies and the communities feel there is nothing they can do without government support. It is suggested that government should use the leverage of local government practices to help engender a stronger sense of community empowerment and involvement towards building resilient communities that can respond to flooding through perceptions, social responsibility and appropriate public relation models.

From Flood Protection to Flood Risk Management: Insights from the Rhine River in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

This article introduces an analytical framework to identify and structure paradigm shifts from flood protection towards flood risk management. The framework is divided into three levels of analysis: (i) the governance level, (ii) the institutional level, and (iii) the operational level. Each of these levels plays an important role during the development and operationalization of a paradigm shift. The framework allows scholars and practitioners to organize a large amount of data and information relating to such a shift in a given river basin. To illustrate the potential of the framework, it is applied to the case of the Lower Rhine in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The results demonstrate how the different levels interact with each other and which elements constitute a barrier or driver influencing a paradigm shift. While institutions developed at higher management levels support a paradigm shift, the overall dominance of technical flood protection measures at the operational level constitutes a barrier to integrated flood risk management. Furthermore, a lack of joint action and multi-level cooperation constitutes a barrier at the governance level.

Integrated Coastal Flood Risk Management as a Means to Build Resilient Communities

There is a clear trend in the increase of damages and loss of lives and livelihoods in coastal areas as a result of rapid increase in coastal populations, and overall socio-economic development in coastal regions resulting in an increase in vulnerability of populations exposed to coastal floods and exposed infrastructure. Coastal flooding as a result of i.e. storm surges are difficult to predict and cannot be prevented, however there are means to apply integrated flood risk management approaches aiming to reduce the impact of coastal floods. A measure of the effectiveness of such approaches is the awareness and response of coastal communities to coastal flood risks. The paper introduces best practices and methods to lower coastal flood risk at the level of provinces, districts and the community level. This includes advances in coastal flood forecasting and early warning practices, improvement of institutional preparedness and integrated flood management practices as well as measures at the community level aiming to strengthen their resilience to coastal floods. The paper provides a showcase for the historical development and achievements to pave ways for the eventual implementation of a pilot project on integrated flood risk management in coastal areas in central Viet Nam.

지표평균법 및 PROMETHEE 결과 종합에 의한 홍수위험도 분석

This study has performed the flood risk assessment in order to provide preliminary information in the establishment of flood risk management and damage reduction strategies. The twelve representative flood risk factors were carefully selected for the flood risk assessment based on the P-S-R(Pressure-State-Response) classification system, and spatially constructed for the nationwide 812 standard watersheds of the national water resource unit map. The relative flood risk was estimated by the two methods; the one is a FRI(Flood Risk Index) by averaging the three flooding indexes such as PI(Pressure Index), SI(State Index), and RI(Response Index) by each four flood risk factor classified from the twelve factors, and the other is the PROMETHEE(Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation) by estimating a complete outranking from the preference matrix analysis for the twelve alternatives. This study has newly presented the final flood risk determined by the higher risk value of two flood risk assessment results, which is expected to be used to identify flooding risk areas in terms of the integrated flood risk management.

Review of the flood risk management system in Germany after the major flood in 2013

Widespread flooding in June 2013 caused damage costs of €6 to 8 billion in Germany, and awoke many memories of the floods in August 2002, which resulted in total damage of €11.6 billion and hence was the most expensive natural hazard event in Germany up to now. The event of 2002 does, however, also mark a reorientation toward an integrated flood risk management system in Germany. Therefore, the flood of 2013 offered the opportunity to review how the measures that politics, administration, and civil society have implemented since 2002 helped to cope with the flood and what still needs to be done to achieve effective and more integrated flood risk management. The review highlights considerable improvements on many levels, in particular (1) an increased consideration of flood hazards in spatial planning and urban development, (2) comprehensive property-level mitigation and preparedness measures, (3) more effective flood warnings and improved coordination of disaster response, and (4) a more targeted maintenance of flood defense systems. In 2013, this led to more effective flood management and to a reduction of damage. Nevertheless, important aspects remain unclear and need to be clarified. This particularly holds for balanced and coordinated strategies for reducing and overcoming the impacts of flooding in large catchments, cross-border and interdisciplinary cooperation, the role of the general public in the different phases of flood risk management, as well as a transparent risk transfer system. Recurring flood events reveal that flood risk management is a continuous task. Hence, risk drivers, such as climate change, land-use changes, economic developments, or demographic change and the resultant risks must be investigated at regular intervals, and risk reduction strategies and processes must be reassessed as well as adapted and implemented in a dialogue with all stakeholders.

Assessment of flood loss model transferability considering changes in precaution of flood-affected residents in Germany

Common models that are used for flood loss assessments today rarely include multiple loss influencing factors, e.g. private precautionary measures, which is increasingly gaining attention in the course of the changes towards an integrated flood risk management. Furthermore, these models are often transferred to other flood events or regions without knowing to what extent this results in reliable estimates. Since data on explanatory variables and losses are often missing, model validation is scarcely performed. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate whether the multifactorial flood loss model FLEMO can be transferred in time and space, using the examples of the August 2002 and May/June 2013 flood events in Germany, with particular consideration of changes in property-level mitigation measures and loss reduction effects for residential buildings. The study revealed that the spatio-temporal transferability of flood loss models remains highly uncertain, since the models could only partially reproduce changes in property-level mitigation measures. This indicates that flood loss influencing processes and factors are still not yet sufficiently understood and represented in models due to complex interrelations and different flood and site specific characteristics. More research on changes in loss explanatory parameters and standardised data collection is needed to enhance the understanding of damage processes and to improve flood loss model validation.

Integrated water resource and flood risk management: comparing the US and the EU

Floods are the most important natural hazard in the EU and US, causing 700 deaths and at least €25 billion in insured economic losses in Europe since 1998, and causing nearly $10 billion annual average flood losses in the US. Flood control is commonly viewed as a matter of building dykes, dams, and other structures, but effective flood management within the perspective of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) must address multiple components of the flood risk management cycle (Figure 1). We systematically reviewed governance structures, guidance documents, and mapping products in both the EU and US, drawing particular examples from California and Spain, to determine how the US and the EU approach the flood risk management within different IWRM initiatives, which strategies and agencies are involved in the different phases –characterization (flood hazard and risk assessment and mapping), mitigation (prevention and protection), emergency (preparation and response), and (short and long term) recovery-, and how these agencies relate to each other. The regions have strong similarities in economy and environmental values, but have evolved very different approaches to cope with floods. The US and EU have similar organizational structures, but very different legislative frameworks. In the US overarching policy and large scale infrastructure funding have traditionally resided at the federal level with state and local agencies exercising strong land use control. EU member states have arguably advanced ahead of the US in some significant ways since adoption of the EU Floods Directive in 2007, a more top-down approach. Among the Directive’s many components, one important requirement is submission of flood risk management plans (by the end of 2015), which, for first time, take into account all phases of flood management. This umbrella strategy to cope with floods is creating a more consistent and integrated flood risk management approach in Europe. In 2008, the State of California, with over 2500 km of levees, enacted a comprehensive package of flood management legislation and state bond financing that far exceeds federal and other state’s actions. This program known as FloodSafe California provided funding for projects within Integrated Regional Water Management Plans, an attempt to implement IWRM at regional scale. Although the efforts of FloodSafe California represent as a major change in direction in US flood risk management, the actions still do not fully implement the integrated flood risk approach promoted by the EU.

The Reality of Life During Floods

The aim of the article is to assess the variability of the risk of flood risk with the use of distributions maximum values. The copyright research is hydrological data in the form of daily water levels from the period 1981-2011. The collected data are derived from the hydrological station Bystrzyca Klodzka for the Nysa Klodzka river and the hydrological station Lesna for the Kwisa river. For the purpose of estimating flood risk from the collected data has been selected quarterly maxima of daily water levels. As a measure of the flood risk authors accepted the likelihood of exceeding the alarm condition in the test sections of the rivers. This risk is calculated by using the theoretical cumulative distribution distribution of quarterly highs water levels. The study was used Gumbel distribution. At the same time the article was paid significant attention to the possibility of using the solutions for integrated flood risk management process in accordance with applicable national legislation and European.

Benchmarking flood risk reduction in the Elbe River

AbstractThe past decade has seen the development and overall acceptance of the concept of Integrated Flood Risk Management. This approach strives to balance positive and negative effects of riverine floods and combines it with risk management concepts. In practice, this has led to a diversification of flood management practices that go beyond traditional structural flood protection measures towards non‐structural measures. These include giving more space for rivers, backwards location of dykes, re‐naturalisation of flood plains and a suite of improved information systems including improved flood forecasting services, promoting flood risk awareness and self‐help capabilities. The paper describes in some detail the process of benchmarking to support effective planning, implementation and monitoring of integrated flood risk management activities that require a set of quantifiable measures, against which progress in flood risk management can be referenced. The case of the extreme Elbe River floods in 2002 and 2013 triggered the development and implementation of the Elbe Flood Protection – Action Plan that in large parts has been implemented. The paper shows the basic concepts of the Elbe Flood Protection Plan and its actions and puts these in the context of a benchmarking framework. The paper concludes that although elements of a benchmarking concept are outlined in the Action Plan, the establishment of benchmarking practices as a tool in flood risk management is in its infancy. The development of a consistent benchmarking procedure would have the potential to improve further the effectiveness of Integrated Flood Risk Management practices in national and international river basins.

How well do the wider public accept integrated flood risk management? An empirical study in two Swiss Alpine valleys

The EU Floods Directive and Swiss water law both stipulate that non-structural prevention measures should be accorded a high priority in risk management. Several studies, have, however, found that, following flood events, the affected population tend to call for massive structural measures. Which factors can help to convince the local public to view integrated risk management more positively? We conducted a household survey in two Swiss Alpine valleys in which a disastrous flood event had taken place two years before. A total of 2100 standardized questionnaires were sent to all households in the Lötschen Valley and to a random sample of the households in the (larger) Kander Valley. The response rate was 30% with 647 completed questionnaires returned. The analysis showed that, after the flood event, the local populations in both valleys mostly favoured traditional measures of hazard control; but support for non-structural prevention measures also appeared to be rather high. A regression analysis revealed that the level of trust in the federal and cantonal authorities, and that of negative emotional experiences during the flood event were the main predictors for this support. Active information behaviour, in contrast, appeared to have only a marginal influence. Interestingly, however, the belief that floods will occur more frequently due to climate change and the support for ecological river management were also found to be relevant predictors. Communicating with the locals about these more graspable issues might be a promising way to increase their support for integrated flood risk management.

Governance in support of integrated flood risk management? The case of Romania

Building on an existing model of governance, this paper aims to assess the supportiveness of Romania׳s structural flood risk governance context towards integrated flood risk management. We assert that a governance structure supports the development and implementation of integrated flood risk management policies when it takes into account all relevant levels, actors, perceptions, strategies and resources (high extent) and has connections between these various dimensions (high coherence). The assessment shows that, in Romania, both the extent and coherence of flood risk governance has increased in recent years. However, the actual inclusion of actors, strategies and perceptions is lagging behind and actors do not actively look for integration or synergy. Thus, the governance structure is at times restrictive rather than supportive of integrated flood risk management as promoted in international guidelines and the European Floods Directive. We conclude that to effectively reduce flood risk problems, additional efforts and time are needed to further align policies and to change practices. Governance assessment can support responsible actors in this process by identifying the factors that support and restrict integrated, and thus sustainable, flood risk management.

Explaining differences in flood management approaches in Europe and in the USA – a comparative analysis

AbstractFlood risk management in Europe and worldwide is not static but constantly in a state of flux. There has been a trend towards more integrated flood risk management in many countries. However, the initial situation and the pace and direction of change is very different in the various countries. In this paper, we will present a conceptual framework that seeks to explain why countries opt for different flood risk management portfolios. The developed framework utilises insights from a range of policy science concepts in an integrated way and considers, among others, factors such as geographical characteristics, the experience with flood disasters, as well as human behavioural aspects.

Evidence for improved urban flood resilience by sustainable drainage retrofit

The rapid growth of cities under modern development pressure has resulted in surface water flooding becoming an increasing hazard and future climate change uncertainties may exacerbate this threat still further: retrofitting sustainable drainage systems to attenuate stormwater runoff has been advocated as part of an integrated solution required to address this problem. Many of these adaptations not only enhance a community's resilience to flooding, but may also offer additional benefits in terms of improved environmental amenity and quality of life. The evidence base for sustainable drainage is critically evaluated in respect of the implications for urban planning, as applied to existing housing stocks and business properties in urban areas worldwide. It is concluded that this approach can make a substantial contribution towards urban resilience as part of an integrated approach to managing extreme storms. This will be of interest to urban planners and designers considering the implementation of integrated flood risk management.

Recent Slovak flood protection relative to integrated flood risk management

ABSTRACTThe exclusive application of the engineering approach to flood defence is a matter of increasing disapproval. This has led to a new paradigm in flood management – the integrated management of flood risk. The change from engineering-based flood protection to the integrated management of flood risk is comparatively slow and has varied in different countries. In Slovakia, the engineering approach enjoys a strong tradition. Recently, the parliament and the government of the Slovak Republic (SR) approved documents which establish new legal and operational frameworks for flood defence in the SR. The aim of this paper is to analyse these documents regarding the concept of integrated flood risk management. The analysis shows that flood protection continues to be based on the traditional engineering approach, which reduces flooding by technical structures. How integrated flood risk assessment and management can eliminate the consequences of engineering flood management is presented through two approaches to preliminary flood risk assessment.

Increasing river floods: fiction or reality?

There has been a surprisingly large number of major floods in the last years around the world, which suggests that floods may have increased and will continue to increase in the next decades. However, the realism of such changes is still hotly discussed in the literature. This overview article examines whether floods have changed in the past and explores the driving processes of such changes in the atmosphere, the catchments and the river system based on examples from Europe. Methods are reviewed for assessing whether floods may increase in the future. Accounting for feedbacks within the human‐water system is important when assessing flood changes over lead times of decades or centuries. It is argued that an integrated flood risk management approach is needed for dealing with future flood risk with a focus on reducing the vulnerability of the societal system. WIREs Water 2015, 2:329–344. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1079For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

Integrated Flood Risk Management, Lessons from the Rhine and Danube for South Asia

The South Asia region is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change flooding events leading to severe economic losses. With flood risks being transboundary, there is the potential for instability and state fragility to lead to migration and displacement, weak governance and overall geo-political instability in the South Asia region. Europe has experience in managing transboundary flood risks, having implemented the EU Flood Directive, which calls for transboundary actions to mitigate flood risks. Using existing platforms for cooperation, Europe can transfer knowledge on Integrated Flood Risk Management expertise from the Rhine and Danube to the South Asia region to ensure regional economic and political stability.

Translating policies into actions: the case of the Elbe River

This paper describes methods and processes to link policy development to the implementation of those policies in actionable implementation plans. It is shown that policies can only be implemented effectively if they are embedded in a legal framework that is designed to facilitate achievement of the policy objectives. The paper shows different levels of policy making and decision support for the development of policies at different levels, ranging from the level of Federal States in Germany to policy development and implementation at the European level as part of the European Framework Directive. Using the Elbe River as a case study, the paper shows the need to anchor regional, transboundary and state level policies to mandated national institutions. A key lesson learnt from the Elbe River Basin is that policy integration is of utmost importance. The paper also demonstrates that a balance needs to be reached with regard to structural and nonstructural measures in flood risk management to arrive at a truly integrated flood risk management strategy and its implementation. The development of research policies on the basis of sound science is indispensable in support of policy development and its implementation.