Strategic Management of Flood Risk offers a holistic approach for flood risk management to communities. This supports the practical consideration of the full range of flood behaviour in decisions that influence this risk.  These decisions may relate to:

• management activities aimed at reducing risk to the existing community
• land use planning activities to limit the growth in risk related to new development
• emergency management activities aimed at preparing for, responding to, and recovering from floods.

This book provides a logical framework and understanding of how flood risk to communities can be considered and managed. It discusses approaches that allow consideration of the variation of risk between and within floodplains, and across flood events of different scales. It investigates how land use planning activities that support community growth can be informed by an understanding of the variation in flood behaviour, flood function, and isolation of an area from safety, and the associated risks to the community and the built environment. 

With full colour figures and diagrams in a colour plate section, international case studies in land use planning, emergency management and flood mitigation included, this book provides value for engineers, town planners and professionals involved in emergency management, as well as for postgraduate students studying flood risk solutions.

Book Reviews

The book is a solid development of the analysis and practice of strategic approaches to managing flood risk. It is logically set out and written in a clear way, developing ideas and themes. While many of the practical examples are drawn from Australia, where the authors practise, the approaches are equally relevant irrespective of geography. The management approaches highlighted are understanding the flood risk, prevention, preparation, response and recovery. Of particular interest is the section on planning restrictions for buildings with particular purposes and adapting to the actual environment. This mitigates the risk to reasonable and considered levels. Mature approaches to engagement with stakeholders are put forward. Few flood-protection solutions can solve all eventualities, so there is always a need for communities to prepare for circumstances of exceedance.
The book is clear and practical in its thinking and I found it thought-provoking and readable.

Veronica Flint Williams, Environment Agency, UK

With a number of extreme weather events occurring recently this book provides a comprehensive reference on the risk posed by flood events and how it should be managed for the communities they effect. The authors draw on substantial knowledge from managing flood risk in Australia and present the information in a way that can be applied to any community.

The chapters are set out logically starting with the understanding of flood risk before exploring in detail how the risk can be managed. The consequences arising for communities subject to flood risk and what techniques are available to ensure the community understands the risk and accepts any proposed solution are clearly set out. A number of figures and tables are included which provide useful practical support to the text.

Key messages set out by the authors are that flood risk is constantly changing, not only through climate change, and that analysing multiple events is required to minimise the possibility of some consequences being underestimated. The need for constant review of flood risk and mitigation planning and effective emergency management planning is identified. The book is a useful addition to this important topic and provides helpful material to enable practitioners to take forward national government strategy to support communities at risk.

Brian Rodgers, Independent FRM Consultant