How Europe can reduce flood risk
With the recent devastating floods across Europe in late 2024 Europe is expected to experience a greater frequency of severe floods. Paul Hudson, Associate Professor of Physical Geography, discusses the challenges of flood management in an article for The Conversation.
Hudson highlights the difficulties in reducing flood risk in Europe, attributing high population density, economic activities in flood-prone areas, and substantial cultural heritage. He points out that flood risk has increased largely due to the 'levee effect', where people have moved into previously flood-prone areas which are now protected by flood defenses.
‘Implementing effective flood management is also difficult because not all floods are the same,’ he notes. Hudson identifies three main types of flooding affecting Europe: fluvial, pluvial, and coastal storm surge. He explains that the most challenging floods to manage are those caused by multiple flood processes, as seen in the lower Rhine basin last winter.
To address these challenges, Hudson proposes three key steps: improve public early warning signs and raise awareness, implement upper river basin measures, and redesign lower basin hydraulic infrastructures. ‘While flooding from extreme rainfall in Europe cannot be avoided, the risk and devastation can be reduced,’ Hudson concludes. He emphasises the need for European nations to be vigilant, forward-thinking, and proactive in implementing effective flood management strategies, despite the high costs involved.
Read the full article on the website of The Conversation.
Paul Hudson is Associate Professor of Physical Geography at Leiden University College in The Hague.