Integrated Approach to Flood Risk Management

Management of water resources is becoming, at a time of scarcity and climate change, more and more complex and is often subject to social tension among people living in the same territory. In this context, the role played by Civil Defence organisations is a key one. At the same time it is made even more difficult by the fact that the only available forecasting models are framed into the main river catchments, which are usually much larger than the smaller ones and the monitoring of which is often irrelevant for correct prediction of event evolution in minor or secondary catchments. 

The purpose of a flood forecasting system is to estimate the future states, especially runoff amounts and water levels of hydrologic systems. But a flood forecasting system seldom is a stand-alone construction. In fact, the overall objective for each flood forecasting system is to deliver warnings to the population at risk to reduce human and economic losses. It should therefore be integrated in a structure dedicated to flood warnings where flooding dynamic and effective and robust communication to Civil Defense are key elements to mitigate damages. 

Consequently, the main activity of the INARMA project will consist in developing common methodologies for the management of water emergencies and of there from deriving landscape risks. This objective involves the application of the non-structural interventions for water risk management contained in the recent EU Directive 2007/60 on sub-regional catchment basins, and enactment of the specific operational procedures followed by Civil Defense Organizations.