Integrated flood risk management – progress from the FLOODsite project

FLOODsite is the largest ever EC research project on flood risk management, with an EC grant to the budget of nearly €10 Million complemented by supporting national funds. The project, which started in 2004, is scheduled to complete in February 2009, and has involved over 200 researchers from 13 countries including many of Europe’s leading institutes and universities. The project is interdisciplinary integrating expertise from across the physical, environmental and social sciences, as well as spatial planning and management. FLOODsite is an ambitious project and aims to maintain the world-leading position of Europe in knowledge and practice for flood risk management. The tools and techniques developed through FLOODsite have been drawn together through the use of pilot studies, enabling direct feedback to flood risk managers and river, estuary and coastal stakeholders. For example, within the UK, the Thames Estuary 2100 team has proved a valuable pilot site – supporting more targeted research and better practice. The use of the pilot sites and collaboration with executive agencies in several countries will help ensure that FLOODsite results are of real value, practicable and usable.

This paper describes some of the outcomes of FLOODsite in terms of contribution to knowledge on sources, pathways and receptors of flood risk and support for integrated methods of flood risk management.