Benefit of using flood risk analysis at the micro level for evaluating local protection measures

In numerous river basins, climate projections converge towards conditions leading to a significant increase in peak discharges both in terms of intensity and frequency. Therefore, managing flood risk will remain an issue of primary importance. Besides, it is currently shifting from the search for full protection against flooding towards the management of the impacts of flooding. In this respect, the elaboration of effective flood management strategies should rely on an integrated risk-based approach, encompassing not only hydraulic criteria but also economic, social and environmental factors. In addition, the considered level of detail in the analysis should be relevant given the available data and the expected outcomes. While such risk analyses have so far been mostly undertaken at a macro- or meso-scale, the herein described analysis is performed at a micro-scale, meaning that the considered assets are the individual buildings, parcels or facilities.