Flood risk and flood forecasting – the state-of-the-art in EU research

Samuels, P.G. (2003) Flood risk and flood forecasting – the state-of-the-art in EU research. In: EU-MEDIN on disaster research - The road to harmonisation, 2003, Thessaloniki, Greece.

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Abstract

Flooding causes damage and distress wherever it happens and in the worst cases can devastate communities and countryside. The scientific understanding of the processes involved has made great progress in recent decades, with substantial contributions from European researchers in hydrology, flood forecasting, river basin, estuary and coastal hydraulics and the engineering of defence infrastructure. At the same time the understanding of the social and economic impacts of floods and the management of emergencies has also improved. These advances have challenged the traditional notion of flood “defence”, a design paradigm that has given way to the concept of flood risk management. This change offers an opportunity for harmonisation by identifying all factors that contribute to the flood risk at any location and the effectiveness of different mitigation measures in reducing the impact of floods on the environment, people, property and businesses. This paper provides an overview of some of the 100 European Commission financed projects on hydrological risk from the 1980s.

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