Strategic Management of Flood Risk

Strategic Management of Flood Risk offers a proven approach for flood risk management in communities internationally. 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, case studies in land use planning from the UK, USA and Australia, 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. (...) 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. (...) The book is clear and practical in its thinking and I found it thought-provoking and readable.

Veronica Flint Williams, Environment Agency, UK

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

Strategic Management of Flood Risk is a thoroughly well researched and easy to read book which will have application to flood risk management practitioners and policy makers, as well as academics and students. The authors (...) balanced approach to the consideration of flood risk as part of land use decision making is noteworthy and in particular the combined impacts of developments. The consideration of the future likely consequences of climate change is very current, given the attention this topic is receiving in the world press. The need for shared responsibility to manage the catchment and the benefits of focusing on community resilience are clear themes throughout the book and, if applied, these would certainly help to manage flood risk and the increased frequency of extreme weather events.

David Porter, Department for Infrastructure, Northern Ireland

This book is recommended for all practising flood risk management professionals. It works on two levels, as firstly, a comprehensive reference book that the reader can extract important information and guidance on the latest techniques and approaches, for example, where it links the importance of local development plans with the concept of flood planning and constraint categories and promoting the idea of connection between the design flood event and development zones. The second level is where it provides examples on the most recent and important aspects of flood risk management such as asset management of existing flood defences and promotion of environmental solutions in natural flood management.(...) With the flood risk strategy up to 2100 for England and Wales due to be published in 2020 this is a very timely guidance publication which compliments the strategy.
 
Roland Grzybek CEng FICE FCIWEM, Independent Member of the Thames Region Flood and Coastal Committee