Stakeholder Involvement in Flood Risk Management

1. Agenda point 6.e WG F progress report Focus: “Workshop stakeholder involvement on FRM” Strategic Coordination Group, 11-12.5.2011 Maria Brättemark, WFD Team, DG ENV.D.1, European Commission

2. Reporting progress • Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (art 4-5) : • Reporting deadline 22.3.2012 • Schemas, GIS Guidance, tools drafted and 1 round of testing finalised. 2nd round testing May 2011. • Tools to be finalised and operational June 2011. • Flood Hazard and Flood Risk maps (art 6) : • Reporting deadline 22.3.2014 • Reporting sheets approved in November 2010. • Schemas, GIS Guidance, tools to be drafted 1st semester 2011, and one first round of testing fore seen over the summer. • This step is expected to be more technically complex than previous reporting steps, so an early start to develop technical formats foreseen. • The role of INSPIRE obligations will be important and will be taken into account in this process. • Flood Risk Management Plans – reporting sheet • Reporting deadline 22.3.2016 • Further consideration of appropriate links with WFD reporting deemed necessary in 2011, and adoption of reporting sheet therefore postponed to end 2011.

3. WG F progress • Thematic workshops : • Flash floods and pluvial floods : Final report • Economics : final report in consultation • Climate change: final report in consultation • Other deliverables • Links between WFD and FD – collection of replies on CIRCA., 1st draft document in preparation • Database of past floods – EEA to work on flood impact database • Catalogue good practice measures – appropriate follow-up in view of other initiatives to be discussed • Economics – work underway to develop a resource document on floods and economics. • Possible new activities : • International coordination • Stakeholder involvement – possible thematic workshop

4. WFD & FD General purpose – mitigate the effects of floods Designation of water bodies at risk from heavy modifications Exemptions temporary deterioration, extreme or exceptional floods, force majeur new modifications to water bodies Pressure and impact assessment, including of flow regulation, morphological changes… Cost recovery of impoundments Programme of measures Controls of impoundments Measures to prevent and/or reduce impacts of accidental pollution as a result of floods Supplementary measures wetland restoration Three stage Consultation of the public and interested parties (art 14) • Administrative arrangements – competent authorities and units of management – river basin districts • Coordination and synchronisation of flood risk maps (characterisation of river basins) & flood risk management plans (river basin management plans) • Synchronisation with review cycles (6 years) • Similar arrangements for international cooperation • Coordination with WFD ofinvolvement of interested parties for FRMP • Use of same Committee • Reporting - WISE

5. Proposed outline : WGF Thematic Workshop on Stakeholders involvement in flood risk management • Title : Stakeholders involvement in flood risk management • Venue : Bucharest, RO tbc • Date : April (?) 2012 tbc (2 days) • Steering group (so far) : AT, HU, IT, SK • Event to be organised as part of the “EU DANUBE Floodrisk” project, which has as one of its objective “Stakeholders oriented flood risk assessment for the Danube floodplains" • Participants : • WG F Member States and stakeholders representative • Non-EU members of the ICDPR Flood Protection expert group • Local Municipal Officials (selected to be determined ) • Other Non-Governmental Organizations (WWF, REC, DEF, local) • Other private stakeholders, including representatives of insurance companies • Selected public relations experts

6. 1st outline(1/3) • Legal references of the activity : • The Floods Directive requires that all interested parties shall be involved in the production, review and updating of flood risk management plans (FD art 10.2). • This process shall be coordinated as appropriate with the involvement of interested parties in the preparation of River Basin Management Plans (FD art 9.3, WFD Art 14). • In addition the result of all three steps of the Directive shall be made available to the public (article 10.1).

7. 1st outline (2/3) • Wider benefits for the local environment, community and biodiversity by : • Involving stakeholder engagement, including communities • Delivering a common language / terminology in presenting the flood risk management plans , maps and assessments • Better presentation of the natural features and processes for stakeholders and communities understanding and compliance of flood risk management • Identification with the local communities local sustainable solutions which are self maintaining with long term benefits, integrating the general futures determined at the basin level • Preparation of an adaptable Plan of measures to changes, including climate change will be shared with communities and stakeholders to get a common consensus

8. 1st outline (3/3) • Outcome of the workshop foreseen to be : • Workshop report, reporting on the proceedings • Contribute to the development of a resource document setting out a strategy and recommendations and best practices on how to involve interested parties/stakeholders in flood risk management

9. Outcome previous workshops (1/4) • The Catchment approach workshop (Scotland, 2009) placed stakeholder involvement at the centre of integrated flood management, and provided an initial targeted discussion on the topic. • Most other workshops has made specific recommendations or drawn conclusions, on different aspects of involvement of specific stakeholders, including the public, and public information. This goes along all aspects of the Directive. • WGF9 asked Romania and the organisers to take on board these issues in the next version of the outline, and examples of issues raised are given here.

10. Outcome previous workshops (2/4) • Public information : • Public information to be clear on the Preliminary flood risk assessment (PFRA, Brno, 2009) • Publicly available maps and plans are important, but the information needs to be understandable for the public. (Floods and economics, Ghent, 2010) • On communication with the public as a measure to reduce flood risk, issues such as • Preparedness, public awareness of the existence of risk and knowledge on how to act in case of a flash flood is crucial (Flash floods and pluvial floods, Cagliari, 2010) • Communication and participation is the best measure to help choosing the best measures. (Flash floods and pluvial floods, Cagliari, 2010)

11. Outcome previous workshops (3/4) • Land use : • Soliciting support for revitalising measures needs broad-based support. Soliciting support required education, communication, citizen involvement and information on the measures (Land use workshop, Norway 2007) • Raising public awareness of flood risk is regarded as most essentialto raise ownership of land use plans (Land use workshop,Austria/Slovenia, 2008) • Stakeholder involvement in evaluation of measures – riole in Multi-criteria analysis : • Objective setting and measure selection needs to involve relevant stakeholders and the results need to be transparent and understandable to the public and politicians (FRMP workshop, Maastricht, 2010 + Floods and economics, Ghent 2010)

12. Outcome previous workshops (4/4) • Preparation and consultation of flood risk management plans : • There is a need for best practice examples on how to involve other sectors in flood management (FRMP workshop, Maastricht, 2010) • Stakeholder involvement in evaluation of measures, Multi-criteria analysis : • Objective setting and measure selection needs to involve relevant stakeholders and the results need to be transparent and understandable to the public and politicians (FRMP workshop, Maastricht, 2010 + Floods and economics, Ghent 2010)

13. More information Thank you for your attention ! http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/flood_risk/index.htm Maria Brättemark, Desk officer Floods/WFD, European Commission, DG ENV.D.1