A brief introduction to the Flood Risk Directive (a.k.a. “Floods Directive”)

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics A brief introduction to the Flood Risk Directive(a.k.a. “Floods Directive”) Jan Verkade

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood Risk Directive’s full name: Directive 2007/.../EC … of the European Parliament and of the Council … on the assessment and management of flood risks  EU legislation!

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Purpose of the Flood Risk Directive (article 1) … establish a framework … for the assessment and management of flood risks … aiming at the reduction … of the adverse consequences … associated with floods … on human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Why a framework for Flood Risk Management? (preamble) • Floods have the potential to cause fatalities, displacement of people and damage to the environment, to severely compromise economic development and to undermine the economic activities of the Community. • Floods are natural phenomena which cannot be prevented. However, some human activities … and climate change contribute to an increase in the likelihood and adverse impacts of flood events. • It is feasible and desirable to reduce the risk of adverse consequences … associated with floods.

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood have the potential to cause fatalities…

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood have the potential to cause displacement of people…

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood have the potential to damage the environment…

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood have the potential to compromise economic life…

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Why an EU-directive? Why not leave it up to the Member States? • Principle of subsidiarity:Flood risks are best managed and reduced at basin level, not at individual Member State level. • Principle of solidarity:Actions taken by one Member State should not adversely impact another Member State.

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Current status of the Flood Risk Directive • Proposal from the European Commission on January 18, 2006 • The European Parliament adopted its position on first reading on June 13, 2006 • The Council of the European Union adopted its ‘Common Position’ on November 23, 2006The European Parliament adopted its position on second reading on April 25, 2007 • The European Commission amended its proposal to reflect the position of the EP and the CEU on May 25, 2007.  The Flood Risk Directive has not yet been formally adopted (as per September 7). The directive will enter into force soon after it has been published in the OJEU and will then be ready for implementation in Member States’ national legislation.

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Definitions (article 2) Flood: • “temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water” Photo: Telegraph.co.uk http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08/04/nfloods104.xml

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Floods from mountain torrents… (flash floods) Photo: http://www.vaison-la-romaine.com

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics River floods… Photos: www.bbc.co.uk, www.sealandarial.co.uk, www.guardian.co.uk

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Coastal floods… Effects of a 2-meter rise in sea level due to a storm surge like that from Hurricane Isabel for downtown Annapolis. Katrina (1) Katrina (2) Photo: http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/website/ISABEL.GIF

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Ephemeral watercourses… Flash flood in Wadi Zin (1/3) Photo: http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/website/ISABEL.GIF

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Floods from sewerage systems…

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Floods in polders

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Definitions (article 2) Flood risk: combination of… • the likelihood of a flood event • the potential adverse consequences Often used definition: risk = probability x consequences R = flood risk D(P) = damage associated with a particular flood event P = probability of that flood event occurring (0≤P≤1)

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Probability and consequences

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Probability and consequences Probability of occurrence: high (e.g. 0.8)Consequences: low (e.g. €150k)

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Probability and consequences Probability of occurrence: medium (e.g. 0.5)Consequences: medium (e.g. €2.5M)

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Probability and consequences Probability of occurrence: low (e.g. 0,1)Consequences: high (e.g. €10M)

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Total flood risk

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Main idea For those areas with potential significant flood risk … assess what that risk is(flood probability and estimated consequences) … determine ‘acceptable levels’ of protection … that are reached by implementing measures + river basin level + solidarity principle + public participation

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Required ‘products’ of Flood Risk Directive • Preliminary flood risk assessment (chapter II) identification of areas with significant flood risk • Flood hazard maps and flood risk maps (chapter III) for areas with significant flood risk showing flood extents and consequences respectively • Flood risk management plans (chapter IV) set appropriate levels of protection measures for reducing flood risk all aspects of FRM: prevention, protection, preparedness

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Preliminary flood risk assessment (article 4) … to provide an assessment of potential risks … based on readily derivable information (such as records) Elements: • maps of the river basin district • description of past floods • description of possible future floods

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood hazard maps (article 6.3 and 6.4) … shall cover the geographical areas which could be flooded according to the following scenarios: (a) floods with a low probability, or extreme events scenarios; (b) floods with a medium probability (likely return period ≥ 100 years); (c) floods with a high probability, where appropriate. Elements: • flood extent; • water depths or water level • flow velocity, water flow.

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood hazard maps: flood extent

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood hazard maps: water depths or water level

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood risk maps (article 6.5) … show the potential adverse consequences … associated with flood scenarios Elements: • the indicative number of inhabitants potentially affected; • type of economic activity of the area potentially affected; • installations which might cause accidental pollution in case of flooding; • potentially affected Natura 2000 areas.

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood risk map, example from Japan

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood risk map: type of economic activity

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood risk maps: floods and land use Landcover flooded for events with a return period of 1000 years

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood risk maps: damages

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood Risk Management Plans (Chapter IV: articles 7 and 8) • Based on flood hazard maps and flood risk maps Elements: • Appropriate objectives for the management of flood risk, focusing on: • the reduction of potential adverse consequences of flooding, • non-structural initiatives and/or • on the reduction of the likelihood of flooding. • Measures that aim at achieving these objectives

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood Risk Management Plans… (article 7.3) … have to take into account relevant aspects such as: • costs and benefits; • flood extent and flood conveyance routes and areas which have the potential to retain flood water; • the environmental objectives of the Water Framework Directive; • soil and water management; • spatial planning, land use; • nature conservation, and • navigation and port infrastructure.

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood Risk Management Plans (article 7.3) FRMPs have to address all aspects of flood risk management focusing on • Prevention • Protection • Preparedness, including flood forecasts and early warning systems FRMPs may also include • the promotion of sustainable land use practices • improvement of water retention • controlled flooding of certain areas in the case of a flood event.

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood Risk Management: ‘international dimension’ (article 7.4) • Measures taken to reduce flood risk in one Member State… • cannot significantly increase flood risk in other Member States… • unless the measures have been coordinated and agreed.

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Coordination with Water Framework Directive (article 9) • ‘appropriate steps’ to coordinate the application of the FD and that of the WFD • information consistent with WFD • possible integration: • flood hazard maps and flood risk maps with WFD ‘characterisation reports’ • flood risk mgt plans with WFD River Basin Management Plans • public information and consultation

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Public information and consultation (article 10) • Coordination with WFD public information and consultation • All ‘products’ have to be made available to the public • Active involvement of interested parties in production, review and updating of FRMPs should be encouraged

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Flood Risk Directive schedule • Entry into force: 20 days after publication in OJEU • Preliminary flood risk assessment: 22/12/2011 • Flood hazard maps and flood risk maps: 22/12/2013 • Flood risk management plans: 22/12/2015 • Reviews: every six years

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Discussion • Definitions: • ‘significant’ flood risk • ‘appropriate’ objectives • ‘significant increase’ of flood risk • Guidelines for implementations? • How to draft flood hazard maps? • How to deal with uncertainty? • Climate change is only included in the reviews of the FRMPs (2021) • … • …

MTEC Water management Training September 2007Jan Verkade – Delft Hydraulics Further reading • An EU policy on flood risk managementhttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/flood_risk/index.htm • ‘Fiche de procedure’http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/file.jsp?id=5306072 • Common Position + amendments by EPhttp://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+TA+P6-TA-2007-0143+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN

A brief introduction to the Flood Risk Directive (a.k.a. “Floods Directive”)