Current flood risk management strategies tend to mitigate known hazards rather than address actual risks. While this approach has been sufficient in the past, it is unlikely to be a sustainable approach in the future…… Now it is a cause for concern that the flood related damages are showing an alarming trend with significant increased in the risk, frequency and intensity of floods across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the region.
Flood is a weather-related hazard causing catastrophic damage. In the last few years, disastrous flood events across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the region have caused numerous causalities and material damage on a wide scale. For example, the 2010 Pakistan floods have flooded vast tracts of land across the country, affecting over 20 million people. The floods caused extensive damage to property especially in Sindh Province and killed at least 1,200 people. The recent flood in China in 2011, leaving a total of over 36 million people have been affected, killing at least 355 and with direct economic losses of nearly US$6.5 billion. Most recently, in Thailand, during August to November 2011, the flood crisis has caused hundreds of casualties, made millions of people homeless and incurred estimated economic damage amounting to US$50 billion. In addition, devastating floods across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the region has raised questions over how responses to flood problem has yet to be effective. This is because, current flood risk management strategies tend to mitigate known hazards rather than address actual risks. While this approach has been sufficient in the past, it is unlikely to be a sustainable approach in the future, but, it is now a cause for concern that the flood related damages are showing an increasing trend, with increase risk, frequency and intensity of floods.In addition, the recent floods have also exposed the effectiveness of current strategies, tactics and models to mitigate flood situation has not been effective in responding to flooding problem. Flood disaster mitigation strategies should be based on a comprehensive assessment of the flood risk combined with a thorough investigation of the uncertainties associated with the risk assessment procedure. Against this backdrop, World Flood Disaster Management Conference 2013 is a timely platform to provide sharing of ideas, perspectives and insights on some of the policy and planning that can reduce the exposure to flooding.
Key issues to be discussed at this conference including:
- Review of flood damages to flood protection infrastructure and plans for restoration and reconstruction works
- Measures for improvements in flood forecasting and warning system
- Standardization of designs and specifications for flood protection works
- Enable various implementers to address effectively the critical areas for minimising flood damages.
- Ensuring the incorporation of flood resistant features in the design and construction of new structures in the flood prone areas
- Experiences and challenges in flood risk reduction across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Europe and the region
- Developing capacity for resilience to flood disasters through space applications and flood risk management
- Critically understand the severity and risks associated with potential future flooding and focus solely on reducing or eliminating flood damage to structure
- Development of new water management instruments and tools for flood forecasting and mitigation
- Innovative uses of flood hazard and risk assessment data in order to maximise flood loss reduction
- Floodplain mapping updates, mitigation planning and reviewing changes of flood control situation and adjustments of flood management strategy
- Challenges in urban flood prevention, risk management and introducing adaptive strategies and countermeasures for comprehensive urban flood management
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