Flood Risk Management in the UK

Approaches to reduce disruption and damage from flooding have changed significantly in recent years. Worldwide, there has been a significant move from a strategy of flood defence to one of flood risk management. Flood risk management includes the use of flood defences, where appropriate, but also recognizes that more managed flooding is essential to meeting goals for biodiversity and to sustain good ecological status in river and coastal systems. The author reviews the flood risk management and analyzes its development and future strategy in the UK. The study shows that flooding and its impacts seem to be increasing with the global climate change and social?economic development. Flood risk management therefore requires a holistic approach, addressing the scientific and engineering issues of rainfall, runoff, rivers and flood inundation as well as the human and socio?economic issues of planning, development and management.