International handbook on emergency management for flood defences

Emergency management for flood defences is a complex undertaking that demands significant effort and expertise from flood asset managers. These professionals must collaborate with various organisations to navigate dynamic and extreme situations, while also considering local conditions and the multifaceted process of assessment and response implementation. Until now, there has been no single resource that comprehensively addresses emergency management for flood defences, presenting both underlying principles and best practices.

Recognizing this gap, Rijkswaterstaat (The Netherlands), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USA), the Environment Agency (England), and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Tourism (Japan) took the initiative to develop this handbook. Over the past 2.5 years, more than 20 organisations and 70 professionals from over 20 countries have collaborated on this handbook. It delves into governance aspects, the details of processes and activities related to emergency management, knowledge sharing and collaboration and the justification for funding necessary capacities and competencies.