climate-resilience; early warning systems; Flood disasters; integrated flood risk management; urban planning; Water Science and Technology
Abstract :
[en] Flood disasters in Europe have become increasingly frequent and severe due to factors including rapid urbanisation, infrastructure vulnerabilities and climate change-related weather anomalies. This paper summarises lessons from major flood events since 2007 using a harmonised framework aligned with Integrated Flood Risk Management (IFRM). The analysis is based on multi-country datasets and case studies. Hazards characteristics, exposure, vulnerability and governance responses are examined in order to identify recurring patterns and systemic gaps. The results of the study highlighted five critical themes: (i) the growing prevalence of riverine and flash floods in urban areas; (ii) the amplifying effects of urbanisation and inadequate drainage; (iii) the shaping of hazard profiles by climate-induced extremes; (iv) the persistent shortcomings in the dissemination of early warnings and last-mile communication and (v) the regional variability in vulnerability and coping capacity. The insights gathered have informed a series of recommendations for policy and practice, the enhancement of early warning systems, investment in sustainable infrastructure, cross-border cooperation and community resilience. The objective of these findings is to inform adaptive strategies and strengthen Europe’s capacity to manage evolving flood risks under increasing urbanisation, continuous economic development in flood-prone areas and climate variations.
Research Center/Unit :
UEE - Urban and Environmental Engineering - ULiège
Disciplines :
Civil engineering
Author, co-author :
Bento, Ana Margarida ; CIIMAR/CIMAR LA, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Matosinhos, Portugal ; Hydraulics, Water Resources, and Environmental Division, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Cordier, Florian ; EDF R&D National Laboratory of Hydraulics and Environment, Chatou, France ; Saint-Venant Hydraulics Laboratory, Chatou, France
Cuthbertson, Alan; Faculty of Science, Engineering and Business (Civil Engineering), University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
Dewals, Benjamin ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département ArGEnCo > Hydraulics in Environmental and Civil Engineering
Diakakis, Michalis ; Faculty of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Di Cristo, Cristiana; Department of Civil, Building and Environmental Engineering (DICEA), University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
Gilja, Gordon ; Department of Hydroscience and Engineering, Laboratory for River and Sediment Dynamics, University of Zagreb Faculty of Civil Engineering, Zagreb, Croatia
Hamidifar, Hossein ; Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geophysics, Warsaw, Poland
Haun, Stefan; Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
Laanearu, Janek ; Water and Environmental Research Group, Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, School of Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
Latella, Melissa ; CMCC Foundation–Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, Venice, Italy
López-Jiménez, P. Amparo; DIHMA, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
Majtan, Eda ; School of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
Prieto Sierra, Cristina ; IHCantabria–Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de la Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain ; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland ; Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
Pummer, Elena ; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
Rowiński, Paweł M.; Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geophysics, Warsaw, Poland
Schröter, Kai; Division Hydrology and River Basin Management (HYDRIV), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Leichtweiss-Institute for Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources (LWI), Braunschweig, Germany
Stamou, Anastasios I. ; Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, Laboratory of Applied Hydraulics, School of Civil Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, Greece
Stancanelli, Laura Maria ; Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
The event in Latvia was characterised by a combination of heavy rainfall and a mid-winter thaw, leading to a significant rise in the water level of the Daugava river, reaching levels not observed in the past 40 years. In view of the prevailing circumstances, the implementation of evacuation procedures and the augmentation of mobile communication infrastructure were deemed imperative measures. The governance strategy was centred on the construction of levees, with an estimated expenditure of 16.93 million euros, of which 85% was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The allocation also encompassed supplementary prevention and recovery funds.The first author (A.M.B.) gratefully acknowledges financial support from national funds through FCT \u2013 Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the Scientific Employment Stimulus program (2023.09258.CEECIND), https://doi.org/10.54499/2023.09258.CEECIND/CP2848/CT0011 .
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