Flooding

Association of British Insurers : Review of Planning Policy Guidance Note 25 Development and Flood Risk [Full record]

http://www.abi.org.uk/Display/File/Child/228/ppg25review.pdf

This document is the consultation response of the Association of British Insurers (ABI) to the government's review of planning policy guidance note 25 on development and flood risk (PPG25) in October 2004. It outlines ways in which the ABI considers PPG25 should be improved and a number of useful references relevant to flood risk are included in the document, some with web links. The document is provided in PDF format (which require the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view).

Bangladesh : Disasters and Public Finance [Full record]

http://www.proventionconsortium.org/themes/default/pdfs/bangladesh_finance.pdf

The Disaster Risk Management Working Paper Series of the Disaster Management Facility (DMF) of the World Bank 'presents current research, policies and tools under development by the Bank on disaster management issues and practices. 'Bangladesh: Disasters and Public Finance is the 6th series of the DMF, which focuses on the economic and financial consequences of natural disasters in Bangladesh. The document is available in PDF format from this site and requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

British Computer Society Fortran Specialist Group : Flood Risk Zone Mapping Project [Full record]

http://www.fortran.bcs.org/2003/porting/frzmp.html

Hosted by the British Computer Society, this web page provides access to a presentation by George Mitchell of WS Atkins, a UK-based engineering company specialising in defence, energy, industry, transport and environment sectors. The presentation relates to the WS Atkins' Flood Risk Zone Mapping Project and can be viewed either on screen or downloaded slide by slide free of charge. It provides summary information, satellite and photographic images relating to floodplain development, climate change, flood defence and flood risk areas in the UK.

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology : the Use of Historical Data in Flood Frequency Estimation : Report to MAFF [Full record]

http://www.nerc-wallingford.ac.uk/ih/feh/historical_floods_report.pdf

This report was prepared in 2001 by A. C. Bayliss and D. W. Reed of the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) Wallingford, within the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), on behalf of the former Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (MAFF). The report is provided in PDF format (which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view) and provides guidance on how historical flood information can be located, evaluated and used to estimate flood frequency and flood risk. It also includes a case study to illustrate the methods used.

CIRIA : repair and restoration of buildings following floods [Full record]

http://www.ciria.org/flooding/

This organisation site includes a series of illustrated articles giving information on immediate actions to be taken in the case of flooding as well as information on making repairs after flooding.

There is health and safety information and also links to relevant standards and other websites.

Climate change and urban children : impacts and implications for adaptation in low- and middle-income countries [Full record]

http://www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=10556IIED

This paper, by Sheridan Bartlett for the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), discusses "the probable impacts for children of different ages from the increasing risk of storms, flooding, landslides, heat waves, drought and water supply constraints that climate change is likely to bring to most urban centres in Africa, Asia and Latin America". The paper is one of the series Human Settlements Discussion Papers and is available to download as a PDF file.

Coastal And Hydraulics Laboratory [Full record]

http://chl.erdc.usace.army.mil/

The Coastal & Hydraulics Laboratory located in Vicksburg, Mississippi is the foremost laboratory for the study of water resources. Areas of research include coastal processes, coastal structures, estuaries, flood control, groundwater, dredging, hydraulic structures, military hydrology, navigation, field data research, and watersheds.

The site gives information about the laboratory and the research carried out. Projects, particularly in special areas are detailed. News is given through several newsletters. There is information about publications with the full-text of some technical notes, proceedings, reports, and significant part of the Coastal Engineering Manual is available in PDF format as well as a summary, detailed table of contents and a glossary of coastal engineering terms. The library also contains some videos in Real Audio and slide presentations, a glossary of hydraulic terms. There is also a link to the Engineer Research and Development Center Resource Library. In addition, some software can be downloaded from this site.

Crops and Drops : Making the Best Use of Water for Agriculture [Full record]

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/005/Y3918E/Y3918E00.HTM

Published on the web by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Land and Water Development Division (AGL) in 2000, this document discusses the projected increase in agricultural irrigation in developing countries, and outlines how water usage can be best maximised to meet these growing needs successfully. Improving the efficiency of irrigation methods is a key focus of this leaflet which also covers production and food security, floods and droughts, improving rainfed production, and improving policies. The document can be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader and is 27 pages long.

Defra / Environment Agency Flood and Coastal Defence R and D Programme : Guidebook of Applied Fluvial Geomorphology : R and D Technical Report FD1914 [Full record]

http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=FD1914_1147_TRP.pdf

The guidebook produced by the Research and Development Department of the Environment Agency collates and summarises the results of geomorphological research and development projects performed for the EA and its predecessor the National Rivers Authority (NRA) during the 1990's. The guidebook is provided as a PDF file (which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view). The contents include: basis and methods in fluvial geomorphology; river processes and channel geomorphology; understanding, characterising and managing river sediment dynamics; tools and strategies for river and floodplain management; and case studies of the application of geomorphological assessment procedures.

Drumlins and subglacial meltwater floods [Full record]

http://www.sentex.net/~tcc/sgfcrit.html

This Web page offers a discussion, by Douglas Cox, on the theory of drumlin formation by catastrophic flooding due to the release of meltwater from beneath melting ice sheets. There are some graphics and maps and clickable references.

Environment Agency : building and maintaining river and coastal flood defences in England [Full record]

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmpubacc/175/17502.htm

This resource contains the full-text of the report which was published as HC175, from the Fourth Report of Session 2007–08, Committee of Public Accounts. It examines the performance of the Environment Agency to the widespread flooding in the UK during the Summer 2007. Being the principal authority responsible for the management of the risk of flooding from major rivers and the sea around England and Wales, it was required to undertake a review the adequacy of actions taken and to consider causes. Conclusions and recommendations are clearly stated in this PDF document.

Environmental planning [Full record]

http://www.rcep.org.uk/reports/23-planning/documents/2002-23planning.pdf

This, the 23rd report of the UK Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP), published in 2002, aimed "to assess whether the various regimes now existing at different levels for setting and achieving environmental goals provide an effective, accountable and transparent way of protecting the environment". It includes an overview of existing organisations for protecting the environment in the UK, a history of the concept of sustainable development, consideration of the need for a spatial and strategic approach to environmental planning, essential prerequisites for an effective system of environmental planning, and recommendations about changes needed in the UK.

Experience with dams in water and energy resource development in the People's Republic of China [Full record]

http://www.dams.org/docs/kbase/studies/cscnanx.pdf

This Country Review prepared by Professor R. Fuggle, University of Cape Town, South Africa and W. T. Smith, an independent consultant, USA, for the World Commission on Dams (WCD) informed the WCD final report "Dams and Development‚ a New Framework for Decision Making". Annex two of this report details the Three Gorges Project on the Yangtze River, which includes an examination of the dimensions of the flood problem, hydropower benefits, flood control operation, sedimentation, dam safety, and social and environmental concerns. The report is provided in PDF format which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader software.

Flood Alert! [Full record]

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/education/secondary/students/flood.html

This document from the Met Office website focuses on the effects of flooding, using examples from the east coast of England and the Netherlands. The document is aimed at secondary school children, and explains surges, storm tide warnings, and flood defences.

Flood Mitigation Strategies for the Red River Delta [Full record]

http://dlc.dlib.indiana.edu/dlc/handle/10535/671

This paper written by Karin Hansson and Love Ekenberg of the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University, looks at the problems caused by flooding in the Red River delta in Vietnam, and the difficulties faced, due to increased costs of flood defence repairs and costs to damaged infrastructures. The paper analyses the current measures being undertaken to mitigate floods, the costs this incurs to the government and future proposals for flood control. The paper concludes by outlining a model to aid decision making.

Flood Risk Management in the Context of Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) [Full record]

http://www.fhrc.mdx.ac.uk/resources/docs_pdfs/wuhanfin.pdf

This is a paper written by Colin Green, Flood Hazard Research Centre (FHRC), Middlesex University and published by the centre, which examines some of the challenges associated with delivering sustainable flood risk management using a process of integrated water resource management (IWRM). The paper is provided in PDF format (which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view) and is supported with references.

Flood Risk Management Policy in the Upper Tizsa Basin : a System Analytical Approach : Simulation and Analysis of Three Flood Management Strategies [Full record]

http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Publications/Documents/IR-03-003.pdf

This is an interim report by Love Ekenberg et al. from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), Austria. The report (IR-03-003) '... describes an integrated flood catastrophe model as well as results of a case study in the Upper Tisza region in northeastern Hungary: the Palad-Csecsei basin ...' and looks at three flood management strategies. The report is provided in PDF format (which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view).

GIS Development : Natural Hazard Management [Full record]

http://www.gisdevelopment.net/application/natural_hazards/overview/index.htm

'GIS Development' is a company that 'aims to promote and propagate usage of GIS and related technologies in various areas of development' and it does this in three ways: Via an online GIS portal, of which this web page is a part, via a monthly subscription magazine and by the organisation of conferences and exhibitions. This web page provides access to a large number of papers and reports regarding the application of GIS to the study of natural hazard management in Asia. The papers are organised into categories, namely, overview (general natural hazard papers), earthquake, drought, fire, floods and cyclones, landslide and soil erosion and volcano. The papers are submitted by various authors, from government and academic institutions as well as consulting companies. Academic submissions are fully referenced and all papers provide clear diagrams and tables where necessary. Contact details of individual authors are also provided.

Great Eruptions in Earth History [Full record]

http://www.firstscience.com/site/articles/self.asp

This article by Steve Self is about the effects of large volcanic eruptions throughout geological history. It discusses large igneous provinces as the surface expressions of mantle plumes, the link between flood basalts and mass extinctions, and the environmental effects of flood basalts eruptions.

Indicators of climate change in the UK : review of climate change indicators [Full record]

http://www.ecn.ac.uk/iccuk//

This report first published in June 2003 and revised January 2004 was produced by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in conjunction with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, aims to identify common, natural indicators that could potentially be of use to monitor the climate of the UK and identify how such variations may affect UK citizens and the environment. Concepts covered include hydrology, sea level, air pollution, forestry, insects and birds, plus marine and fresh waters. Consideration is also given to the effects of variations in climate upon agriculture and flora and fauna. The report also includes consideration of Welsh, Scottish and Irish Indicator Initiatives; European Environment Agency Indicators of climate change; the role of the Environmental Change Network; current review of strengths and weaknesses of the 1999 indicators; marine indicators of climate change; and headline socio-economic indicator of climate change. The majority of the report is accessible in HTML, Word and PDF formats (the latter requiring the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view).

Integration of Agricultural, Forestry and Biodiversity Conservation Policies with Flood Management in England and Wales [Full record]

http://www.lupg.org.uk/default.aspx?page=76

This is a project report written by Liesbeth van Kampen-Brouwer et al. and published in June 2004 for the Land Use Policy Group. The Land Use Policy Group comprises the statutory conservation, forestry and environment agencies in Great Britain. The report describes the existing flood management framework in England, Wales and Scotland, including flood policy, flood defence finance and regulatory controls, and the rural land management factors that influence flood risk. The report also analyses the scope for integration of the various policy areas. An Executive Summary of the report is also provided in Welsh. The full report can be downloaded in PDF format.

Internal structure of sand bars on the Colorado River, Grand Canyon, as determined by ground- penetrating radar [Full record]

http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of01-425/

This USGS report describes high resolution, subsurface imagery from ground penetrating radar (GPR). It has revealed the internal structure of sand bars at seven sites on the Colorado River, Grand Canyon. By examining the geometry of unconformities and intervening sedimentary structures, a better understanding of the long term depositional history of alluvial sediment was obtained. In particular, the effects of large floods that were common in the past, before the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam that reduced the size and frequency of floods on the Colorado River were reviewed. The report includes six figures and references.

Large floods in the United States : where they happen and why [Full record]

http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2003/circ1245/

This report (U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1245) discusses the spatial distribution of large floods (the most costly and chronic natural hazard in the USA) in the United States of America and Puerto Rico. The report addresses two issues concerning floods: the location of the largest floods and the factors affecting their distribution. Key factors identified in the study include regional climatology, topography and river basin size. Sections of this publication include: Floods - A National Hazard; Largest of the Large; Where are the Largest Floods?; Why are Large Floods Where They Are?; and a summary. This report is available online from the US Geological Survey (USGS) in a PDF format.

Learning to live with rivers : Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) [Full record]

http://www.ice.org.uk/downloads//ICEFlooding.pdf

This is the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) presidential commission report on flooding and technical aspects of flood risk management in the United Kingdom, published in November 2001. It is provided in PDF format (which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view). The report contains full colour pictures and details of a number of useful case studies throughout the United Kingdom, relating to flood incidents and flood risk management. Topics in the report include flood risk, catchment and river basin management, urban drainage, flood management tools, international experiences and practice.

MDEQ Wetland Identification Manual : a Technical Manual for Identifying Wetlands in Michigan [Full record]

http://www.deq.state.mi.us/documents/deq-water-wetlands-idmanualtitletoc.pdf

This report created by the Land and Water Management Division for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, provides information on the identification of wetlands. The contents includes: wetland hydrology, vegetation and aquatic life, soils, field methods for identifying wetlands and their boundaries, and non-normal site conditions. The document is provided in PDF format which requires the use of Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.

National Flood Forum information [Full record]

http://www.floodforum.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=5

This is a webpage from the National Flood Forum (NFF) website. The NFF is a non-profit organisation with some funding from the Environment Agency, which aims to provide a forum for local communities and local authorities to share experiences and practices in relation to flood risk management. This page provides access to a collection of information including a series of fact sheets such as "Beginners Guide to Flooding". Topics covered include information and advice for householders on protecting their homes from flooding, how to evaluate their risk, particular types of flooding including coastal, highway, localised or flash flooding, river and sewage flooding, and insurance. Most documents are available to download as PDF files.

Natural disasters : SciDev.Net [Full record]

http://www.scidev.net/en/agriculture-and-environment/natural-disasters/

The Science and Development Network (SciDev.Net) is a non-profit organisation which provides authoritative information on developments in science and technology for the developing world. This section of the SciDev.net provides a collection of news, articles, opinions, analyses and background information on natural disasters and their associated effects in the developing world. Examples of natural disasters featuring in this resource include floods, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and landslides. Users can also express their own views on published articles and respond to other comments.

Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI) [Full record]

http://www.ngi.no/en/

Full-text downloadable documents are provided by the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), a private foundation concerned with research and consulting in the geosciences, including soil, rock and snow.

These documents supplement information given on the application of research findings to practice across the institute's main areas of activity - geotechnics, engineering geology, hydrogeology and environmental geotechnology, as well as material properties, modelling and analysis and instrumentation and monitoring. There are also video sequences of an avalanche and of a quick clay landslide in QuickTime. A bibliographic database of scientific articles by NGI staff is available for searching. The full-text articles can be ordered. News items are included.

Overview of the hydrology of the Mekong Basin [Full record]

http://www.mrcmekong.org/download/free_download/Hydrology_report_05.pdf

This Mekong River Commission report is an intermediate technical introduction to the hydrology of the Mekong River that flows through Indochina, and ties Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia to a single international water resource. It incorporates an analysis of the most recent dataset and seeks to describe the most important patterns and features of the Mekong basin hydrology, including the Cambodian flood plain and the Tonle Sap system. It includes chapters on catchment geography, the effects of climate, major tributaries and flows, and the hydrology of floods and droughts. The final chapter examines hydrological modelling of the system and the potential uses of these models in the management of this water resource. This report was published in November 2005 by the inter-government initiative, the Mekong River Commission for Sustainable Development, and can be downloaded in PDF format.

Policy Briefing : Living with Floods : Achieving Ecologically Sustainable Flood Management in Europe [Full record]

http://assets.panda.org/downloads/livingwithfloodswwfpolicybriefingfinal.pdf

This report was written by Markus Schneidergruber, Miroslava Cierna and Tim Jones, members of the WWF European Freshwater Team. The report looks at: the trends and impacts of floods in Europe; the causes of increasingly severe flooding; integrated river basin management and ecologically sustainable flood management; suggested policy tools and EU funding possibilities to achieve this; and an overview of policy recommendations. The briefing paper is provided in PDF format (which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view).

Sedimentary Evidence Favouring the Formation Of Rogen Landscapes by Outburst Floods [Full record]

http://tcc.net16.net/rogen/

This paper on the sedimentary evidence favouring the formation of Rogen landscapes by outburst floods was written by John Shaw of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta. It describes the fundamentals of subglacial meltwater processes, and the sedimentary Rogen ridges and their implications. The paper also provides a list of references and is illustrated with figures and maps.

Sustainable water use in Europe - part 3 : extreme hydrological events : floods and droughts [Full record]

http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/Environmental_Issues_No_21

The full-text of the report Sustainable Water Use in Europe. Part 3: Extreme Hydrological Events: Floods and Droughts (Environmental Issues Report No 21) published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in August 2001. The report provides an overview into the main natural and man-made causes of floods and droughts in western and central European countries. It examines the impact of these events and the policy responses from the different countries to prevent such events and reduce their impact. The report was produced for the EEA by the European Topic Centre on Inland Waters. The report is only available in English and is in PDF format (Adobe Acrobat reader required).

Understanding the regional impacts of climate change : research report prepared for the Stern Review on the economics of climate change [Full record]

http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/sites/default/files/wp90.pdf

This is Working Paper 90 from researchers at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Southampton, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology and California State University, published in September 2006. The paper is available in PDF format from the Tyndall Centre website. It discusses the regional climate change impacts on water resource stress, agriculture, coastal flooding, human health, energy requirements, ecosystems, and vegetation. Regional matrices cover the environmental changes through temperature fluctuation with effects on carbon sequestration and changes in forest, grassland and desert cover. In appendices effects of climate change include effects on wheat, maize and rice yields; carbon sequestration; vegetation and biome changes.

Up in smoke? Latin America and the Caribbean : the threat from climate change to the environment and human development : the third report from the Working Group on Climate Change and Development [Full record]

http://assets.panda.org/downloads/upinsmoke_lac.pdf

This report is available from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) website and it examines the effects of climate change in Latin America and the Caribbean. It discusses how rainfall patterns and temperature are becoming very unpredictable, including the impact of climate change and environmental degradation. It examines "environmental degradation ranging from drought in the Amazon to floods in Haiti and elsewhere; from vanishing glaciers in Colombia to extreme cold in the Andes; and hurricanes, not only in Central America and the Caribbean, but also in southern Brazil." Also the impacts for different economic activities like agriculture, farming, and fishing and for the peasants, indigenous people, women and migrants are examined. The report can be downloaded in PDF format.

Water / floods : engineering themes : Ingenia Online [Full record]

http://www.ingenia.org.uk/ingenia/themes.aspx?Index=28

Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC [Full record]

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32000L0060&model=guichett

This website provides an online version of the official Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 (Official Journal L 327 , 22/12/2000 P. 0001 - 0073). The Directive was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union on 22 December 2000, with the objective of establishing a framework for community action that works towards protecting the water quality of inland surface waters, transitional water and groundwater. The aim of the Directive is to preserve and prevent deterioration of aquatic ecosystems, promote sustainable water use by protecting water resources, implement specific measures (e.g. monitoring, abstraction licensing) to reduce polluting discharges and emissions to water-ways and groundwaters, and alleviate the effects of floods and drought.

Wetland Habitat Action Plan Steering Group [Full record]

http://www.english-nature.org.uk/science/wetland/

The UK government agency, Natural England "champions the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places in England". Chaired by Natural England, the Wetland Habitat Action Plan Steering Group coordinates the implementation of the four priority wetland Habitat Action Plans (HAP) on reedbeds, coastal and floodplain grazing marsh, fens, and lowland raised bogs. This section details the work of the Steering Group, provides access to the four action plans in full with supporting information on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan website. The references section gives full text access to PDF documents in support of the project.