“How-to” Flood Management Guide for Cities

Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Background

Around the world, urban flooding is a growing development challenge, as Australia experienced first-hand in Brisbane last year. This month saw the release of a report from the World Bank and the Global Faculty for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, titled ‘Cities and Flooding: A Guide to Integrated Urban Flood Risk Management for the 21st Century’.

Comment

The report suggests that far more needs to be done by policymakers to better understand, and more effectively manage, existing and future risks. There is an obvious need for a management system, as the world becomes increasingly urbanised and the number of megacities increases. By 2030, there will be an estimated 75 megacities of five million-plus inhabitants. 

Over the past 18 months, floods occurred not only in Australian urban areas, but also along the Indus River Basin in Pakistan, in South Africa, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and along the Mississippi River in the US.

The report suggests that there is a notable increase in the incidence of flooding and the impact on people’s lives. Cities are being planned poorly, increasing the risk of floods. The guide recommends using flood hazard maps to highlight hazards; the maps should then be used for planning development activities, emergency planning and for policy development.

Flood forecasting is another tool that can provide people with advanced warning of flooding, while the guide also shows other practical methods of preparation. The guide shows that policymakers and government officials do not need to accept flooding as a “fait accompli”, a natural event for which no-one needs take responsibility. Instead, they can take a proactive approach to ensure that flooding is minimised. Countries, such as Australia, would do well to consider the “can-do” attitude prevalent in the Netherlands, if they are to successfully tackle future flood crises.

To read the guide, click here.

Gary Kleyn

Manager

Global Food and Water Crises Research Programme

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