1. Research progress on floods and flood risk management 1st Meeting of Working Group F on Floods 7 May 2007, Brussels Marta Moren Abat Directorate General for research European Commission

2. Flood Risk and flood hazards  Threatening natural event, including its natural occurrence and magnitude  Most common natural disaster in Europe  Over recent decades, costs from flood damages have rapidly increased Socio-economic factors (increase of population and wealth in flood prone areas) Land use changes (urbanisation, deforestation, loss of wetlands and natural floodpains storage) Changes in climate might have also played a role  Flood risk is a potential loss having un uncertain occurrence and size  It’s a hazards’s consequence, vulnerability and exposure

3. Climate change impacts  Climate modelling suggests that climate change plays a role on flood occurrence, frequency and magnitude, in the future.  Projections show that global warning will intensify the hydrological cycle, and increase the magnitude and frequency of intense precipitation events in most parts of Europe, especially in the center and northern parts.  This will likely contribute to an increase of flood hazard triggered by intense rain  Flood hazard may also rise during wetter and intense winter, with increasingly more frequent rain and less frequent snow.

4. Climate change impacts – IPCC report  Europe has warmed by almost 1°C over the past 100years, faster than the global average.  Extreme weather events have increased and regional climate patterns are changing  Future climate change will increase most climate-related hazards in Europe, including winter floods and coastal floods, snowmelt floods, flash floods and forest fires.  In the course of the century, water supplies stored in glaciers and snow covered are projected to decline, reducing water availability in regions supplied by melt water from major mountain ranges, where more than 1/6 of the world population currently lives.  Climate change will increase health risks climate related health risk from droughts, heat waves and flooding.  Future climate change will increase drought and flood risks in many regions, decrease water resources in many semi-arid and arid area, threaten the viability of coastal settlements around the globe,

5. EU Flood Action Programme The EU Flood Action Programme is the EU Strategy lead by the European Commission (G. Environment Directorate), in order to:  Prepare a proposal for a legal instrument (Flood Risk Management Directive, FRMD)  Benefit from EU Research results  Exchange of knowledge, experiences and information through the ‘EXCHANGE CIRCLES’  Analyse mechanisms for EU funding tools

6. EU Research  Research Framework Programmes (FP) support research in selected priority areas  Research has contributed to improve knowlege and understanding of enviornmental risks (flood risl-k management), climate science, impacts adaptation and mitigation. Strengthen the links between research and policy. Translation and streamlining the information is essential.

7. Environment (including climate change) Support from Environmental research at EU level to: a) Improvement of knowledge b) Implement international committments:  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change  Kyoto and Montreal Protocols  Post-Kyoto and protocol initiatives  World Summit on Sustainable Develoment  …………. c) Contribute to the inter-governmental panel on Climate Change (incl. UN Strategy for disaster reduction) d) Reply to the research needs of:  Existing and emerging EU policies  6th EAP  European Climate Change Programme  ……………

8. 6th Framework Programme (2000-2006) Areas related to floods and flood risks:  Adaptation and mitigation strategies  Hydrology and climate processes  Natural disasters  Development of observing and forecasting systems

9. WATCH Project  The project is bringing together hydrological, water resources and climate experts, in order to quantify and predict the components of the current and future global water cycles, evaluate uncertainties, vulnerability including societal impacts, economical aspects. It will evaluate how the water cycle and its extremes respond to future drivers of global change (including land cover change) It will evaluate how the water cycle and its extremes respond to future drivers of global change (including land cover change)  Duration  Duration: 2007 - 2011  EU-Contribution  EU-Contribution: € 10 million Evaluation of the response of global water cycle to climate change.

10. FLASH Project  The project is addressing the topic of flash flood forecasting using rainfall-lightning relationships for ameliorating rainfall forecasts. The project is expected to provide a substantial improvement in flash flood warning in Europe with a major focus on the Mediterranean region  Duration  Duration: 2006 - 2009  EU-Contribution  EU-Contribution: € 1.2 million Short term forecasting of flash floods: Observations, analysis and modelling of lightening activity in thunderstorms.

11. FLOODsite Project  The project is producing improved understanding of specific flood processes and mechanisms and methodologies for flood risk analysis and management ranging from the high level management of risk at a river basin, estuary and coastal processes. It includes specific actions on the hazards of coastal extremes, coastal morphodinamics and flash flood forecasting as well as understanding of social vulnerability and flood impacts.  Duration  Duration: 2004 - 2009  EU-Contribution  EU-Contribution: € 9.6 million Integrated flood risk analysis and management methodologies.

12. Hydrate Project  Overall the project aims to enhance the capability of flash flood forecasting in basins by exploiting the extended availability of flash flood data and the understanding of processes. The project will improve the scientific basis for flash flood forecasting, extending the understanding of past events, advancing and harmonising a flash flood observation strategy and developing a set of technologies and tools for effective early warning systems.  Duration  Duration: 2006 - 2009  EU-Contribution  EU-Contribution: € 2.4 million Effective flash flood forecasting: Hydro -meteorological data resources and technologies.

13. 7th Research Framework Programme  EU’s Main instrument for funding research in Europe.  2007-2013  Total budget for 7 years €50.5 billion (1.800 M€ for Environment)  FP7 supports research in selected priority areas  Use of reserach results

14. 7th Research Framework Programme  Pressures on Environment and climate  Natural hazards  Environment and health

15. 7th Research Framework Programme Natural Hazards  Management of disasters related inter-alia, to climate and hazards (water) require improved knowledge, methods and an integrated framework for the assessment hazards, vulnerability and risks.  Multi-risk approaches combined with spatial planning, mapping and modelling are needed for the development of prevention and mitigation strategies  Improvement of detection, prediction and forecasting  Environmental and societal resilience as well as damages due to major natural hazards and its quantification.  Multidisciplinary research

16. 7th Research Framework Programme – Natural Hazards  Area 1: Hazard assessment, triggering factors and forecasting  Area 2: Vulnerability assessment and societal impacts  Area 3: Risk assessment and management  Area 4: Multi-risk evaluation and mitigation strategies

17. 7th Research Framework Programme – Natural Hazards  Area 1: Hazard assessment, triggering factors and forecasting European storm risk  Area 2: Vulnerability assessment and societal impacts Frame for better vulnerability assessment  Area 3: Risk assessment and management  Area 4: Multi-risk evaluation and mitigation strategies European (multi) hazard database analysis

18. 7th Research Framework Programme: Continuation after 2007  Environmental, social and economical management of floods: present and futur scenarios for EU and key regions in the world  Generation, propagation and fate of sediments and debris in extreme floods  Public perception, behaviour and responses to risks