Ebook: Flood Recovery, Innovation and Response IV

Flooding is a global phenomenon that claims numerous lives worldwide each year. This book contains the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Flood Recovery, Innovation and Response, set up to promote research into this area of study. When flooding occurs in populated areas, it can cause substantial damage to property as well as threatening human life. In addition, many more people must endure the homelessness, upset and disruption that are left in the wake of floods. The increased frequency of flooding in the last few years, coupled with climate change predictions and urban development, suggest that these statistics are set to worsen in the future. How we respond and adapt to these challenges is key to developing our long term resilience at the property, community and city scale. Apart from the physical damage to buildings, contents and loss of life, which are the most obvious impacts of floods upon households, other more indirect losses are often overlooked. These indirect and intangible impacts are generally associated with disruption to normal life as well as longer term health issues, including stress-related illness. Flooding represents a major barrier to the alleviation of poverty in many parts of the developing world, where vulnerable communities are often exposed to sudden and life-threatening events. This book covers a wide range of technical and management topics related to flooding and its impacts on communities, property and people. These include: Flood preparedness; Flood management; Flood recovery; Adaptation to flood risk; Impacts of flooding on households, businesses and / or communities; Flood protection - products and processes; Urban flood management; Flood forecasting; Flood vulnerability; Socio and economic impact; Innovative approaches; Risk assessment and decision making; Flood case studies; Emergency preparedness and response; Critical infrastructure; Flood damage assessment.