Introduction to flood risk analysis and management

Sustainable flood risk management is about maximising both social and economic resilience against flooding, by protecting and working with the environment, in a way which is fair and affordable both now and in the future. Resilience to flooding can be increased through a variety of measures, including structural (flood defence), non-structural (flood warning, floodplain storage, flood event management) and, most commonly, an optimum combination of the two.

The course will introduce the concepts of flood risk analysis and management within the context of current UK policies and legislation, drawing on the experience of the tutors. Current techniques in considering climate change and joint probability will be presented in outline, as will latest guidance on producing flood risk assessments. Due to the size of the subject, the course will focus on river and urban flooding. However, much of the course content will have relevance to tidal and coastal flooding.

It is designed as a suitable follow-on course from Introduction to River Hydrology and Hydraulics, but can be undertaken independently. Some background knowledge of hydrology and/or hydraulics would be helpful.