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The EU Flood Action ProgrammeTowards a fully integrated river basin management

Helmut Blöch, European Commission

© DB© Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), London, UK

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Overview

• Floods – a transboundary European challenge;

• Climate change and floods;

• 3 elements of EU Flood Policy;

• EU Floods Directive;

• Outlook

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The challenge

• 1998 – 2006: over 100 major floods across Europe

• Some 700 fatalities, displacing about half a million people

• Insured economic losses at least 25 billion EUR

• Environmental damage

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© UFZ Halle (DE)

Floods – the risks we face

© DB

© www.wklondon.typepad.com

© Wassernetz Niedersachsen-Bremen

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Waters do not respect borders –neither for pollution nor for floods

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Costs of measures vs. damage potential

Rhine river: costs 12.3 bl EUR over 20 years, equal to about 7% of the potential damage;

Odra/Oder river basin: 3.6 blEUR over 25 years, equal to the direct damages occurred during one single disaster;

Loire river basin: costs 583 ml EUR, equal to about 10% of the potential damage;

Vidourle basin: costs 29 ml EUR over 4 years, equal to 4% of the damage occurred in one single year, 2002.(Impact Assessment to the Floods Directive (Commission Proposal 18 January 2006, http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/flood_risk/ index.htm)

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Impact of climate change

© www.bundesregierung.de picture alliance / ZB

© europarl.europa.eu Prognosis pointing to further increase in certain flood events, and to a change of the pattern of flood events;

Hydrological data, planning and measures of the past need to be re-assessed, and action taken.

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The EU Flood Action ProgrammeThree distinct but closely interlinked elements

EU funding instruments

Further targeted research efforts;

exchange ofknowledge and

experience;

A flexible legislative instrument

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Flood-related research

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Flood-related EU funding instruments

• European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund

• European Fund for Rural Development (Common Agricultural Policy)

• EU Instruments for external assistance

All flood-related measures and activities are eligible, from data collection and preparatory steps to public participation and operational measures;

Eligibility defined in EU Regulation adopted at EU level; however, right and responsibility of Member States to choose – within this frame – their priorities and projects.

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Floods Directive Key underlying principles (1)

• Ensuring – for all citizens and for all businesses - comparable information on flood risk, and comparable approaches to flood risk management;

• Addressing the diversity of flood events across Europe

Vale de Santarém PT © 1996 Hélder Bernardo

© http://www.superdresden.de

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Floods DirectiveKey underlying principles (2)

• Building on experience and planning already in place; using existing cooperation structures such as river basin agreements and civil protection plans;

• Ensuring flexibility for planning and action at local / regional / sub-basin level whilst establishing an obligation for coordination and cooperation within river basins (as under the Water Framework Directive);

• Participation of citizens, local communities, NGOs and stakeholders.

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EU Floods Directive Main elements: 3 steps

• Preliminary flood risk assessment

• Flood mapping

• Flood risk management plans

excluding ‘no-risk’ areas

mapping areas at risk of flooding

measures to reduce flood risks where current risk is considered too high

Focus on flexibility and subsidiarity: Precise objectives for protection, deadlines and measures to be decided at local/regional/sub-basin level – whilst adhering to the obligation of cooperation/coordination in shared river basins.

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Integrated river basin managementLink to the Water Framework Directive

• Clear link to water quality management under the Water Framework Directive, given that river basins and stakeholders are identical;

• Links to be ensured in terms of legislation (coordination of review of plans under the Floods Directive and under the Water Framework Directive, as well as of public participation from 2015 on) and in terms of implementation.

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DIRECTIVE on the assessment and

management of flood risks(adoption foreseen 2007)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular

Article 175 thereof,

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2000/60/EC establishing a framework for Community action in the

field of water policyTHE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular

Article 175 thereof,

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Outlook

• A „business as usual“ approach is not affordable, neither economically nor environmentally.

• We need to ensure comparable information for citizens and business across Europe, and comparable approaches to risk management.

• We can build on experience, cooperation and shared success in many regions of Europe.

• Integrated river basin management must ensure that quality management and flood risk management arrive at coordinated approaches, reaping synergies for all.

• River basin management will continue to be a – frequently interative – learning process.

• Integrated river basin management including flood risk management will provide a sound long-term planning basis for, for technical, financial and political decisions, from the local and regional to the European level.

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More information

Further information is available at the Internet sites of the European Commission

DG Environmenthttp://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/flood_risk/index.htm

Joint Research Centre http://ies.jrc.cec.eu.int/98.html

DG Researchhttp://ec.europa.eu/dgs/research/index_en.html

17http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/water/flood_risk

© Government of the Netherlands

Thank you for your attention.