Strategic and Legal Framework of Torrential Flood Control in Some Western Balkan and EU Countries

The EU countries are obliged to harmonize their legislation in the field of flood protection, and thus torrential floods, in accordance with the Water Framework Directive (WFD) which was adopted in 2000. Two EU countries, Austria and Italy, and three Western Balkan countries were selected for the strategic and legal framework of torrential flood control: Serbia, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In addition to the legal framework of torrential flood control in EU countries, policies and strategies related to this area were studied for comparative analysis with non-EU countries. The strategic framework for the protection of water resources, and in particular torrential flood protection, is lacking in all Western Balkan countries. The aim of this chapter is to determine the directions of future strategic directions and torrential flood control policies in the Western Balkans based on the experiences of EU countries, advantages and disadvantages of the existing strategic, and legal frameworks.

The determinants affecting the intention of urban residents to prevent flooding in China

In the context of global warming and China’s disaster response patterns, it is critical to understand how to promote the effectiveness of household flood protection measures among the public. In this study, we developed a comprehensive theoretical framework based on protection motivation theory (PMT) to identify the main determinants that influence urban residents' intention to prepare for flooding. In addition to the fundamental factors in PMT, this framework also considered the influence of individual heterogeneity and social context. We selected urban residents in flood-prone areas of Henan Province as the study population and collected 857 valid questionnaires through an online survey. Firstly, the results showed that both threat perception and coping appraisal of flood risk are effective in increasing residents' intention to prevent. Secondly, negative risk response attitudes reduced people's intention to prepare. If people do not perceive preparedness actions as absolutely necessary, they will postpone or shift to public flood protection measures. In addition, analysis of affective pathways revealed that negative emotions were primarily influenced by perceptions of flood consequences and were not significantly related to perceptions of likelihood. The analysis of trust mechanisms showed that higher levels of trust reduced people's perceptions of flood risk thereby hindering their intention to prepare for floods. Finally, we found that the positive influence of social norms on preparedness intentions makes it appropriate to focus on the power of social mobilization. The findings will provide theoretical references for government departments to design further policy measures to improve integrated flood risk management in China.

Guidelines for Analysing Coastal Flood Protection Systems after a Submersion

Storm Xynthia, which hit the French Atlantic coast on February 28th, 2010, flooded vast territories despite coastal defences. This disaster highlighted the need to further study the behaviour of the coastal flood protection systems at an adapted geographical scale by considering the kinematics of the events. This objective has been achieved through a combination of conceptual input on the definition of protection systems, significant breakthroughs in the knowledge of the mechanisms governing the flooding, and via the improvement of strategies and methods dedicated to flood analysis and representation. The developed methodology was successfully tested on four sites submerged during Xynthia (Loix, Les Boucholeurs, and Boyardville, located in Charente-Maritime, and Batz-sur-Mer, located in Loire-Atlantique). This work is intended to guide the diagnosis of sites prone to marine flooding from the first investigations until the delivery of study reports. Beyond the usual focus on hydraulic structures, it provides guidelines to better analyse the interactions with the natural environment (sea, soil, dune, wetlands, etc.) and with the built environment (roads and urban networks, ponds used for fish farming, buildings, etc.). This systemic approach, which is applied to a territory considered as a complex adaptive system, is fundamental to understanding the reaction of a territory during a marine submersion event and subsequently developing adaptation or transformation strategies.

Flood Forecasting and Disaster Risk Management – a Case Study of Danube River

The Danube and its tributaries have been crossing mountains and plains in their almost unchanged riverbeds for thousands of years, regardless of national and administrative boundaries. Nevertheless, even decades ago, several countries provided access to only limited data and information concerning the water level and flood protection status of their rivers. In recent years, information was exchanged mainly on the basis of bilateral agreements and on successful activities of basin-wide organizations, but for others, information could only be obtained by browsing the Internet, which is sometimes rather complicated and definitely time-consuming. The EU Strategy for the Danube Region Environmental Risks Priority Area initiated a project aimed at developing the Danube Hydrological Information System, which was supported by the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River. A comprehensive overview of the complex national flood and ice forecasting systems, identification of the shortcomings of the existing forecasting practices as well as an improvement of the exchange and availability of hydrological and meteorological data between the involved countries constituted crucial fields of interests for the project. Hence the main aim of the article is to present and discuss key data and functionalities of the system. The key findings show that all authorized meteorological and hydrological data of the Danube River are stored in a central database and made available online to all licensed hydrological and flood protection institutions for further processing in virtually real time. At this moment 12 countries of the Danube have joined forces to work out the proposals that are essential for the future, for safer Danube.

Attitudes of administrative decision-makers towards nature-based solutions for flood risk management in Germany

Over the last two decades, alternative and holistic concepts, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS) were introduced and adopted by policy-makers, including to the field of flood protection, thereby causing a paradigm shift towards flood risk management. The inclusion of natural water retention measures (NWRM) such as dike relocation and floodplain restoration into the German guidelines for flood protection institutionalized the new concepts in Germany. Whereas small scale NbS and the affected population have already been subject to thorough scientific research, large-scale NbS and the decision-makers assigned with the measure’s implementation have yet to be studied. How do administrative decision-makers perceive the new approach and measures? Are there particular attitudes among the decision-makers regarding NbS? Which aspects of implementing large-scale NbS influence possible attitudes? Which hurdles do decision-makers concern for the implementation of the new concepts? This paper investigates these questions on the example of dike relocation and floodplain restoration using Q-methodology with administrative decision-makers of flood protection authorities in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The consecutive statistical analysis unveiled three significant viewpoints among the decision-makers. The viewpoints/attitudes were classified as 1. The Convinced, 2. The Concerned and, 3. The Evaluators, defined by varying and individual concerns on the implementation of dike relocation and floodplain restoration. Hereby, this study delivers insights on large-scale NbS as well as on the issues of their implementation.

Development of a Hydrodynamic-Based Flood-Risk Management Tool for Assessing Redistribution of Expected Annual Damages in a Floodplain

Despite spending ample resources and procedural development in flood management, flood losses are still increasing worldwide. The losses caused by floods and costs incurred on management are two components of expected annual damages (EAD) due to floods. This study introduces a generalized approach for risk-based design where a range of probable floods are considered before and after a flood mitigation measure is implemented. The proposed approach is customized from the ISO Guide 31000 along with additional advantages of flood risk visualization. A Geographic Information System (GIS)-based design of a flood-protection dike is performed to exhibit the risk redistribution. The Chenab River is selected for the existing dike system. Detailed hazard behaviour and societal vulnerability are modelled and visualized for a range of all probable floods before and after the implementation of flood-protection dikes. EAD maps demonstrate the redistribution of induced and residual risks. It can be concluded that GIS-based EAD maps not only facilitate cost-effective solutions but also provide an accurate estimate of residual risks after the mitigation measures are applied. EAD maps also indicate the high-risk areas to facilitate designing secondary measures.

Beyond Flood Preparedness: Effects of Experience, Trust, and Perceived Risk on Preparation Intentions and Financial Risk-Taking in China

Flooding, already the most damaging type of natural disaster in China, is expected to become increasingly costly around the world. However, few studies have examined residents’ flood-preparedness intentions and the effect of flood experience and other variables on general financial risk-taking. This study explored the effects of Chinese residents’ previous flood experiences, trust in public flood protection, and flood-risk perception on flood-preparedness intentions and attitudes towards financial risk-taking in general. Study 1 surveyed residents in a flooded area (n = 241) and a non-flooded area (n = 248); Study 2 surveyed a non-flooded area (n = 1599). The relations between the variables were tested through structural-equation modelling (SEM). Overall, the two studies found that residents’ flood experiences, trust in public protection, and flood-risk perception not only predicted their flood preparedness but also their financial risk aversion. This study highlights the importance of residents’ trust in public flood protection for flood risk management and communication, especially for those who have not yet experienced flooding.

Urban Riverscapes: Reconnecting Urban Environments With the River Landscape

<p>Water is a fundamental component of New Zealand’s landscape, culture, history and identity. It is moving, changing form, accumulating and dispersing, it is ever changing never in the same context twice. Rivers are a single representation of this process in which we experience water in the landscape. New Zealand has beautiful and intense water ways that pass through urban environments, yet due to the flood protection measures in place, they are disconnected from the urban environment. They are difficult to access and do not hold a presence in our growing urban environment which they once had significance in. Stopbanks are the most common form of river flood protection infrastructure in New Zealand. They treat the river as a static element without giving them the space to move, flood and meander. They create a physical barrier between the urban environment and river space and do not respond to the differences of rivers and urban environments. Growing urbanisation is increasing the pressure on stormwater infrastructure and growing the risk and effects of flooding. Increasing magnitude and frequency of rainfall events is only putting more pressure on flood protection infrastructure and stopbank infrastructure is crumbling under the pressure. Urban environments are requiring a larger level of flood protection that the traditional stopbank can provide. This thesis is an investigation into the role of stopbanks for flood protection in urban river spaces and their effect of the experiential and ecological experience of the river. This investigation, developed through an analysis of the Waiwhakaiho River in New Plymouth, the Waikanae River in Kapiti and the Waipoua River in the Waiarapa informs a redesign of flood protection measures in New Zealand medium sized towns to repair the disconnection of the urban environment to the river.</p>

Urban Riverscapes: Reconnecting Urban Environments With the River Landscape

<p>Water is a fundamental component of New Zealand’s landscape, culture, history and identity. It is moving, changing form, accumulating and dispersing, it is ever changing never in the same context twice. Rivers are a single representation of this process in which we experience water in the landscape. New Zealand has beautiful and intense water ways that pass through urban environments, yet due to the flood protection measures in place, they are disconnected from the urban environment. They are difficult to access and do not hold a presence in our growing urban environment which they once had significance in. Stopbanks are the most common form of river flood protection infrastructure in New Zealand. They treat the river as a static element without giving them the space to move, flood and meander. They create a physical barrier between the urban environment and river space and do not respond to the differences of rivers and urban environments. Growing urbanisation is increasing the pressure on stormwater infrastructure and growing the risk and effects of flooding. Increasing magnitude and frequency of rainfall events is only putting more pressure on flood protection infrastructure and stopbank infrastructure is crumbling under the pressure. Urban environments are requiring a larger level of flood protection that the traditional stopbank can provide. This thesis is an investigation into the role of stopbanks for flood protection in urban river spaces and their effect of the experiential and ecological experience of the river. This investigation, developed through an analysis of the Waiwhakaiho River in New Plymouth, the Waikanae River in Kapiti and the Waipoua River in the Waiarapa informs a redesign of flood protection measures in New Zealand medium sized towns to repair the disconnection of the urban environment to the river.</p>