Institute for Environmental Studies Flood Maps in Europe a comparative evaluation of methods, availability and application Hans de Moel and Jeroen Aerts

Key Sources Armonia (2005), Report on the European scenario of technoloigcal and scientific standards reached in spatial planning versus natural risk management, edited by S. Greiving, M. Fleischhauer and S. Wanczura. Jelinek, R. and M. Wood (2007), Risk mapping of flood hazards in new member states, EU Joint Research Centre, IPSC, NEDIES. CEA (2005), European property market shared experience: flood risk maping and zoning, Comité Européen des Assurances, Paris. National reports on the status of disaster reduction prepared for the 2005 World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Kobe, Japan. Questionnaire from the EU (Civil Protection) on hazard/risk mapping 2003/

EU Flood Directive Rationale: –Floods cause high damages –Climate change will affect occurrence of floods –Exposure will continue to increase –Should be managed at basin level Objective: –To establish a framework for the assessment and management of flood risks Actions: –Preliminary flood risk assessment (2011) –Creation of flood hazard and risk maps (2013) –Flood risk management plans (2015) 3

Flood Mapping 4 USA, 1968 (NFIP) Canada, 1976 (FDRP) Europe, late 1990s Munich Re, 2005 Huge damages increase in 1990s Triggered by large flooding events

Flood Damages 5

Creating Flood Maps 6 Who make flood maps? –National Governments –Lower authorities (provinces, water boards) –(Re-)Insurance Companies –River Basin Authorities –Commercial consultancies –Research projects

Creating Flood Maps 7 Different flood maps –Occurrence of historic floods –Extend of historic floods –Dam break –Hazard –Risk Source: Office of Public Works (OPW), Ireland

Creating Flood Maps 8 Different flood maps –Occurrence of historic floods –Extend of historic floods –Dam break –Hazard –Risk Dresden, 1845 flood (Elbe) Source: Schumacher, 2005

Creating Flood Maps 9 Different flood maps –Occurrence of historic floods –Extend of historic floods –Dam break –Hazard –Risk

Creating Flood Maps 10 Different flood maps –Occurrence of historic floods –Extend of historic floods –Dam break –Hazard –Risk York 1/100 and 1/1000 Source: UK Environment Agency Website

Creating Flood Maps 11 Different flood maps –Occurrence of historic floods –Extend of historic floods –Dam break –Hazard –Risk Source: Hydrological Information Centre Flanders

Creating Flood Maps 12 Most maps produced are flood hazard maps –Mostly display inundation zones based on return periods –Some display hazard zones based also on other parameters (e.g. flow velocity) Few risk maps available One conceptual model  many different practices –Data available –Geograhical situation –Question addressed

Creating Flood Maps 13

Creating Flood Maps 14 Following Kron (2002)

Creating Flood Maps 15 Source: Hydrological Information Centre Flanders

Availability Flood Maps 16

Emergency Planning Spatial planning Awareness raising Insurance Facilitate further research 17 Use Flood Maps - Governments

18 Use Flood Maps - Governments

Use Flood Maps 19

Summary Overview Many flood maps already produced Most are hazard maps, based on inundation Wide variety of practices Mostly used for emergency and spatial planning EU Directive Most countries have a starting point Transition to risk often has yet to be made –How to include exposure/vulnerability –How to keep them comparable Hazard: dealing with flood defenses and include climate change 20

Happy to answer any comments or questions 21