Advances in Urban Flood Management

Global climate change is increasing the variability of extreme flood events and cyclones. Current measures to mitigate flood impacts specifically for urban environments no longer provide optimal solutions for previously planned flood risk intervals. Being prepared for uncertain changes and extreme flood events requires a paradigm shift in current strategies to avoid and manage flood disasters. A major rethink of current planning and flood management policies and practices on different spatial and temporal scales is required to reverse the trend of increasing impacts of urban floods. In November 2004 an International Expert Meeting on Urban Flood Management was held to discuss these challenges. The outcome of this meeting resulted in a book on Urban Flood Management which was edited by A. Szollosi-Nagy and C. Zevenbergen and published by A.A. Balkema Publishers in 2005. This International meeting also accompanied the launch of COST (*) action C22 on Urban Flood Management in March 2005. This European Concerted Action C22 brings together a large number of European research groups. It's main objective is to increase knowledge required for preventing and mitigating potential flood impacts in urban areas by exchanging experiences, developing integrated approaches, and by promoting the diffusion of best practices in Urban Flood Management. In the action, four working groups are active in the following areas: Flood modelling and probability assessment: Computational methods to determine flood hydrographs of urban watercourses (hydrological models); flood propagation in storm water pipe and open channel networks (hydraulic models); and the assessment of the probability of extreme floods (statistical methods). Special reference is given to data management by making use of web-services, the modelling of flash floods; SUDS (sustainable drainage systems); the "daylighting" of urban streams by removing culverts and restoring open space for flood stora≥ and the assessment of climate change effects. Flood risk assessment and mapping: Methods used to determine the impact of floods in urban environments. Special reference is given to the assessment and mapping of risk, and to methods to assess the impact of flood mitigation through structural and non-structural measures. Flood resilience: Methods used to reduce flood damage for the built environment. Special reference is given to the techniques of flood resilient repair and dry and wet-proofing; the capacity building of residents and the prerequisites for efficient flood resilience. Integrative concepts of urban flood management: Strategies to integrate technological and non-technological aspects into an holistic approach to flood risk management with special reference to non-structural solutions and the relevance of policy, insurance, risk awareness, communication, consistency management and the socio-cultural environments.This book comprises initial results from C22 and aims to address the aforementioned issues by highlighting and analyzing the state of the art and best practices in this emerging field of urban flood management. Our thanks go to the contributing authors, whose efforts have made this book a useful reference in setting the direction for the future in urban flood management. (*)Founded in 1971, COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical Research, allowing the co-ordination of nationally funded research on a European level. COST Actions cover basic and pre-competitive research as well as activities of public utility.Ashley, Richard is the author of 'Advances in Urban Flood Management ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780415436625 and ISBN 0415436621.