The concept of The concept of Integrated Flood ManagementIntegrated Flood Management

Regional Programme on Disaster Risk Reduction in South East EuropeTraining workshop on flood risk assessment

27 September – 1 October 2010Istanbul, Turkey

Tommaso AbrateClimate and Water Department

World Meteorological Organization

Plan of the presentation

• WMO’s role

• The principles of Integrated Flood Management

WorldWorldMeteorologicalMeteorologicalOrganizationOrganization

WorldWorldMeteorologicalMeteorologicalOrganizationOrganization

The UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the

oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

The UN system's authoritative voice on the state and behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with the

oceans, the climate it produces and the resulting distribution of water resources.

WMO’s objectives

• Facilitate worldwide cooperation in the field of meteorology and hydrology and their application to the benefit of all;

• Promote the establishment and maintenance of systems for the rapid exchange of data information in meteorology, climatology and hydrology;

• Promote standardization of observations and ensure the uniform publication of observations and statistics;

• Further the application of meteorology, climatology and hydrology to development issues (transportation, water management, agriculture, etc.);

• Encourage research and training, and assist in coordinating their international aspects.

WMO’s Programmes

World Weather Watch (WWW) World Weather Watch (WWW) ProgrammeProgramme

WMO WMO SpaceSpace Programme (SAT) Programme (SAT) DisasterDisaster RiskRisk ReductionReduction Programme (DRR)Programme (DRR)

Education and Training Education and Training ProgrammeProgramme (ETRP) (ETRP) Technical Cooperation Technical Cooperation ProgrammeProgramme (TCP) (TCP)

Regional Regional ProgrammeProgramme (RP) (RP)

World Climate World Climate Programme Programme

(WCP) (WCP)

Atmospheric Atmospheric Research and Research and Environment Environment ProgrammeProgramme

(AREP) (AREP)

Applications Applications of of MeteorologyMeteorology

Programme Programme (AMP) (AMP)

Hydrology Hydrology and Water and Water Resources Resources ProgrammeProgramme

(HWRP) (HWRP)

Hydrology and Water Resources Programme (HWRP

• Monitoring the state of their countries’ and, as a consequence, of the world's freshwater resources;

• Measuring basic hydrological elements from networks of hydrological and meteorological stations;

• Collecting, processing, storing, retrieving and publishing hydrological data, including data on the quantity and quality of both surface water and groundwater;

• Providing data and information for use by planners and water managers;

• Managing water-related risks, particularly flood and drought management;

• Installing and operating hydrological forecasting systems; • Integrating meteorological and climatological information

and forecasts into water resources management.

Programme structure

• Programme on Basic Systems in Hydrology

• Programme on Hydrological Forecasting in Water Resources Management

• Programme on Capacity-building in Hydrology and Water Resources Management

• Programme on Cooperation in Water-related Issues

Main activities

• QMF - Hydrology

• WHYCOS

• WMO Flood Initiative– APFM

– FFGS

• HOMS

• Capacity building

Disaster Risk Reduction Programme (DRR)

• Development, improvement and sustainability of early warning systems, of weather-, water-, climate-related hazards;

• Development, improvement and sustainability of applications of modern technologies for providing hazard information for risk assessment;

• Development and delivery of warnings, specialized forecasts and other products;

• Stimulate a culture of disaster preparedness through strengthening of capacities;

• Strengthen WMO and NMHSs cooperation and partnerships for implementation of disaster risk reduction.

Hazards, risks and disasters

• Natural hazards are unavoidable

but• Disasters are

caused by social attitudes and developmental processes that increase vulnerability

Living in the flood zone

•Settling in flood zone has great advantages

•Flooding occurs in flood zones

•No measure, alone or in combination with others, can eliminate flooding

•We must adapt the use and land management to the benefits, risks and limitations placed in flood areas

Beneficial aspects of floods

• Recharging water sources (recharge groundwater, restock man-made reservoirs)• Agriculture (provide nutrients and sediments)

• Fishery (provide an ecological trigger for spawning and migration)• Rejuvenation of the river ecosystem (provide seasonal variability and variable sediment, wash down pollutants and contaminants, flush out organic substances)

Provide livelihood opportunities

Worlwide statistics on natural Worlwide statistics on natural disasters disasters

Damages caused by floods increase

... hand in hand with GDP

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

45000

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

US$ bn

Sources:•GDP Groningen growth and development centre (www.ggdc.net) Maddison archive•Flood losses Munich Re

GDPFlood losses

To

tal

Insu

red

P

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0Richer countries Poorer countries

Economic losses Losses as percentage of GDP

Bil

lio

n U

S$

Per

cen

tag

e o

f G

DP

Losses caused by natural disastersLosses caused by natural disastersTotal value and percentage of GDP in richer and poorer Total value and percentage of GDP in richer and poorer

countries (1985-1999)countries (1985-1999)

Fonte: adattato da MunichRe, 1999

Time evolution

Expected climate change impacts

• Increase in temperature, evaporation and sea level

• Increased rainfall variability

• Increased risk of flooding and water stress

• Pollution and water quality• Negative impacts on the

hydrological cycle will be higher than positive

Projected impact on annual mean flow (2080-2100)

Traditional Flood Management Practices

• Physical separation of rivers from populations and goods

• Capacity enhancement of rivers

• Storage and retention of runoff

• Emergency management

• Flood recovery

Weakness of the traditional approach

• “Case-by-case” and “ad-hoc” approach (local and partial solutions)

• Focused on only part of the basin / river: rather than being mitigated the flood risk in only shifted

• Priority to 'control' rather than 'management‘• Often developed as a result and in terms of a

catastrophic historical event• Reactive rather than proactive• Based mainly on the structural measures• Monodisciplinary

Weakness of the traditional approach

• Ignore the various spatial scales• Does not consider the lessons of the past• Tends to give a false sense of security• Structural measures generally disturbed eco-

system balance;• Impact on the river & users elsewhere,• Non-structural measures: weak coordination,• Poor communication strategies,• Limited or passive participation civil society.

Changing perceptions of floods

Protection

Myth of total control

Limit and hinderance

Opportunity

Threat / act of God

Corte Madera Creek

• 1966: 250 yr return time event, concrete channel

• 1972: preserve the natural characteristics of the watercourse

• 1982: 100 yr return time event

• 1996: 40 yr return time event, minimize the use of concrete, preserve the recreational use

• Maximise the net benefits

New South Wales (1)

• 1810: identification of flood risk zones

• 1867: major flooding, levees and dikes are built

• 1900-1940 few events, attention threshold lowered

• 1955: 500M$ losses

• Planning

• Not only structural measures

New South Wales (2)

• State Emergency Service (1955)• 1972:

– Focus on emergency response– Lack of legal tools for an integrated flood

management– Waek warning practices, lack of emergency

evacuation plans and population awareness

• 1989: – Focus on flood management and early warning – More ‘proactive’, sensitization– Land use planning

Flood protection / Flood management

PAST FUTURE

Founding question

How do we protect us?

Which level of security?

At which costs?

Planning and measures

Specific to one discipline

Interdisciplinary

Management of the resources

Sectoral local

Global approach

Security Now, biased towards certain sectors

Solidarity with future generations

Balanced across a global system

New challenges for flood management

Securing livelihoodsEcosystems protection

and conservation

Population growth Urban sprawl

Climate change and variability

ww

w.aw

itness.org cum

ulus.geol.iastate.edu/

Changes ın decision making process

Total security is a myth

New challenges for flood management

Integrated flood mangementWater Resources Water Resources

ManagementManagement

Integrated Flood ManagementIntegrated Flood Management

Risk Risk ManagementManagement

Coastal Zones Coastal Zones ManagementManagement

Land ManagementLand Management

A precondition: multidisciplinary cooperation

Affected communities

Information exchange /collaboration

Insurance

Specialized services in natural hazards

Land management

services

Emergency and rescue services

Integrated flood managemen:overall objective

Create a community than can protect itself with an optimal set of measures (both short and long term, structural and non structural)

Integrated flood managemen:objectives

• Sustainable development: balancing development needs and flood risks protection

• Maximizing net benefits from floodplains: ensure livelihood security and poverty alleviation thereby addressing vulnerability

• Minimizing loss of life: in particular through end-to-end FF&W systems and preparedness planning for extreme events

• Environmental preservation: ecosystem health & services

Net benefits

Gain

Derived from the activities and use of floodplains (agriculture, urban development, transportation, recreational use, etc.)

Losses

Direct damages and mid to long term impacts on environment and socio-economics

> 0

Net benefits

The “dimensions” of IFM

Law

Law

hydr

olog

y

hydr

olog

ySoc

ial

Socia

l sc

ienc

es

scie

nces

TimeTime

SpaceSpace Scientific Scientific domainsdomains

Basin

National

Local

International

Reconstruction and rehabilitation

Planning

Emergency

Econo

my

Econo

my

Engin

eerin

g

Engin

eerin

ginterdisciplinarity, flexibility, participationinterdisciplinarity, flexibility, participation

Low waters, lean, drought

High watersfloods

The Principles of Integrated Flood Management

• Manage the Water Cycle as a Whole• Integrate Land and Water Management• Manage Risk and Uncertainty• Adopt a Best-Mix of Strategies.• Ensure a Participatory Approach.• Adopt Integrated Hazard Management

Approaches.

Overview of functions in IFM

Flood info/data incl. hydrol. Networks

Flood info/data incl. hydrol. Networks

Ecosystem protection

Ecosystem protection

Design, Operation & Maintenance of flood

defences and drainage system

Design, Operation & Maintenance of flood

defences and drainage system

Land Use Planning Controls, floodplain

zoning

Land Use Planning Controls, floodplain

zoning

Forecasting and Warning

Forecasting and Warning Evacuation &

Relief

Evacuation & Relief

Pollution control

Pollution control

Flood FightingFlood Fighting

Liability for Flood Losses

Liability for Flood Losses

RehabilitationRehabilitation

Assessment of flood losses

Assessment of flood losses

Flood Insurance

Flood Insurance

Flood proofing & building

regulation

Flood proofing & building

regulation

Public/Stakeholder Participation

Public/Stakeholder Participation

After floodAfter flood

During Flood During Flood Before floodBefore flood

Reservoir operationReservoir operation

Flood emergency management

Avoid the exposure of critical activities from flooding and temporarily shift people and such activities • Preparedness: to ensure effective response• Response: to reduce adverse impacts during the

flooding• Recovery: to assist the affected community to

rebuild itself

Flood emergency management

41

Integrated approach

DisasterDisaster

Potential disaster

Potential disaster

Crisis Management

Crisis Management

VulnerabilityVulnerability

InnundationInnundation

Flood Flood

MeteorologyMeteorology

River BasinRiver Basin

River corridor River corridor

Surface water retention afforestation, augmentation of infiltration, ...

Structural protection measures increase discharge capacity, dikes, …

Adapted land use

agriculture, settlements, industrie, infrastructure,…

Emergency response forecast, warning, evacuation, relief, …Source: FOEN

Final considerations

• Policy (and politics) are often reactive rather than proactive

• Av exceptional event is an opportunity to reconsider flood management policies

• Experts should promoted integrated and multidisciplinary approach to flood management