Floods Directive

Background

Although floods are natural phenomena, catastrophic floods endanger lives and cause human tragedy as well as heavy economic losses. Through the right measures we can reduce their likelihood and limit their impacts. In addition to economic and social damage, floods can have severe environmental consequences, for example when installations holding large quantities of toxic chemicals are inundated or wetland areas destroyed. Flood protection measures may also have negative environmental impacts, therefore coordination with other environmental and policy objectives should take place from the early stages of a project. The coming decades are likely to see a higher flood risk in Europe and greater economic damage. The immediate response to this challenge is sound flood risk management that accounts for climate change impacts.

What is flood risk management?

Flood risk management is a cyclical process that aims to reduce the probability of flooding and its potential consequences. Flood risk management plans focus on the following elements:

• Prevention: preventing damage caused by floods by avoiding construction of houses and industries in present and future flood-prone areas; by adapting future developments to the risk of flooding; and by promoting appropriate land-use, agricultural and forestry practices;

• Protection: taking measures, both structural and non-structural, to reduce the likelihood of floods and/or the impact of floods in a specific location;

• Preparedness: informing the population about flood risks and what to do in the event of a flood;

• Emergency response: developing emergency response plans in the case of a flood;

• Recovery and lessons learned: returning to normal conditions as soon as possible and mitigating both the social and economic impacts on the affected population

An example of natural water retention measure is the protection and restoration of floodplains which supports achieving key objectives of the Water Framework Directive, the Habitats and Birds Directives, and Floods Directive.

Legislative approach

Floods Directive (FD) required Member States to first carry out a preliminary assessment by 2011 to identify the river basins and associated coastal areas at risk of flooding. For such zones they then needed to draw up flood risk maps (Flood Hazard and Risk Maps – FHRMs) by 2013 and establish flood risk management plans (FRMPs) focused on prevention, protection and preparedness by 2015. The Directive applies to inland waters as well as all coastal waters across the whole territory of the EU.

Floods Directive is carried out in coordination with the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in 6 years cycles, notably by flood risk management plans and river basin management plans (RBMPs) being coordinated, and through coordination of the public participation procedures in the preparation of these plans. All assessments, maps and plans prepared are available to the public. The 1st flood risk management cycle ends in 2021 therefore, by the end of 2021, the 2nd FD Flood Risk Management Plans along with the 3rd WFD River Basin Management Plans need to be established.

Member States need to coordinate their flood risk management practices in shared river basins, including with third counties, and shall in solidarity not undertake measures that would increase the flood risk in neighbouring countries. Long term developments, including climate change, as well as sustainable land use practices in the flood risk management cycle addressed in this Directive need to be taken into consideration.

The Floods Directive is in almost all Member States implemented at the level of the River Basin Districts designated under the Water Framework Directive and the same competent authorities are generally responsible for implementation of both, the WFD and FD.

Measures taken in RBMP and FRMP can contribute to both Directives’ ends. Natural water retention measures are an example of measures that can contribute simultaneously to the achievement of objectives under the WFD and the FD by strengthening and preserving the natural retention and storage capacity of aquifers, soils and ecosystems^[1]. At the same time, plans for new flood protection infrastructure need to be assessed in terms of potential impacts on the achievement of good status under the WFD.