How Is Climate Change Included in the Implementation of the European Flood Directive? Analysis of the Methodological Approaches of Different Countries

Climate change has major effects on the planet, and its consequences on today’s society are undeniable. Climate change is the cause of the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events including floods. Flood management in Europe has experienced a significant change due to the emergenc...

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Main Authors: Nuria Holguin, Arantza Mugica, Olatz Ukar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
Series:Water
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/11/1490
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author Nuria Holguin
Arantza Mugica
Olatz Ukar
author_facet Nuria Holguin
Arantza Mugica
Olatz Ukar
author_sort Nuria Holguin
collection DOAJ
description Climate change has major effects on the planet, and its consequences on today’s society are undeniable. Climate change is the cause of the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events including floods. Flood management in Europe has experienced a significant change due to the emergence of the Flood Directive and its implementation in national regulations. The Flood Directive requires the inclusion of the effects of climate change. With multiple factors such as governmental and administrative diversity, and various management tools, each country uses a different methodology. This research conducts a bibliographic review to analyze the methodological approaches applied by four different countries—the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain—showing their differences and the causes of such differences and examining the common weaknesses and strengths in the countries’ approach. To this end, it analyzes how to include climate change in the implementation of the Flood Directive in the four countries studied throughout the two cycles. Developing a uniform approach to FD implementation has been hampered by (1) different starting points in the technology of flood prediction, (2) widely varying “traditional” approaches to flood and risk management, and (3) differing levels of the integration of local, regional, and national agencies. Development under the FD has, however, led to increased awareness of the common uncertainty associated with the different current methodologies and the need to deepen the knowledge of climate change as well as the need to develop the technology to reduce said uncertainty.
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spelling doaj.art-96246836e46141bd9f140312de53182d2023-11-21T21:30:55ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412021-05-011311149010.3390/w13111490How Is Climate Change Included in the Implementation of the European Flood Directive? Analysis of the Methodological Approaches of Different CountriesNuria Holguin0Arantza Mugica1Olatz Ukar2Department of Mechanics, Design and Industrial Management, University of Deusto, Avda. de las Universidades 24, 48007 Bilbao, SpainDepartment of Mechanics, Design and Industrial Management, University of Deusto, Avda. de las Universidades 24, 48007 Bilbao, SpainDepartment of Mechanics, Design and Industrial Management, University of Deusto, Avda. de las Universidades 24, 48007 Bilbao, SpainClimate change has major effects on the planet, and its consequences on today’s society are undeniable. Climate change is the cause of the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events including floods. Flood management in Europe has experienced a significant change due to the emergence of the Flood Directive and its implementation in national regulations. The Flood Directive requires the inclusion of the effects of climate change. With multiple factors such as governmental and administrative diversity, and various management tools, each country uses a different methodology. This research conducts a bibliographic review to analyze the methodological approaches applied by four different countries—the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain—showing their differences and the causes of such differences and examining the common weaknesses and strengths in the countries’ approach. To this end, it analyzes how to include climate change in the implementation of the Flood Directive in the four countries studied throughout the two cycles. Developing a uniform approach to FD implementation has been hampered by (1) different starting points in the technology of flood prediction, (2) widely varying “traditional” approaches to flood and risk management, and (3) differing levels of the integration of local, regional, and national agencies. Development under the FD has, however, led to increased awareness of the common uncertainty associated with the different current methodologies and the need to deepen the knowledge of climate change as well as the need to develop the technology to reduce said uncertainty.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/11/1490climate changeflood preventionflood risksflood directivepreliminary flood risk assessmentflood hazard
spellingShingle Nuria Holguin
Arantza Mugica
Olatz Ukar
How Is Climate Change Included in the Implementation of the European Flood Directive? Analysis of the Methodological Approaches of Different Countries
Water
climate change
flood prevention
flood risks
flood directive
preliminary flood risk assessment
flood hazard
title How Is Climate Change Included in the Implementation of the European Flood Directive? Analysis of the Methodological Approaches of Different Countries
title_full How Is Climate Change Included in the Implementation of the European Flood Directive? Analysis of the Methodological Approaches of Different Countries
title_fullStr How Is Climate Change Included in the Implementation of the European Flood Directive? Analysis of the Methodological Approaches of Different Countries
title_full_unstemmed How Is Climate Change Included in the Implementation of the European Flood Directive? Analysis of the Methodological Approaches of Different Countries
title_short How Is Climate Change Included in the Implementation of the European Flood Directive? Analysis of the Methodological Approaches of Different Countries
title_sort how is climate change included in the implementation of the european flood directive analysis of the methodological approaches of different countries
topic climate change
flood prevention
flood risks
flood directive
preliminary flood risk assessment
flood hazard
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/13/11/1490
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