Conclusions

Abstract

Flood risk management is critically important to the well-being and economies of our societies, and with increasingly severe weather patterns now manifesting across the globe, flooding issue will gain importance. Experience reflected in the case studies presented in this book demonstrates that the threat of flooding cannot be effectively dealt with by structural methods to reduce hazard alone. An integrated approach that includes reducing vulnerability is key, and integrating multiple benefits in flood risk management projects can increase public support and provide additional funding sources for what are often expensive projects beyond the normal budgets of the responsible public agencies. Every setting is unique, whether the climate be continental or Mediterranean, whether the flood hazard comes principally from large rivers overflowing onto their floodplains or from inadequate urban drainage, and in the envi-ronmental and social resources at stake. As agencies seek to implement integrated flood risk management, they must work within institutional constraints. This has motivated a range of innovative responses, many of which are captured here in the contributions to this book.