Flood partnerships: a participatory approach to develop and implement the Flood Risk Management Plans

Flood risk management comprises a wide variety of aspects, ranging from the reduction of the probability of occurrence of a flood to the reduction of the potential damage. These aspects rest in the common responsibility of the official agencies at the state and community level, as well as the affected population. To facilitate an effective exchange between these actors, national and transnational flood partnerships (FPs) were initiated within the European INTERREG IV A - Project 'Flood and Drought Management in the transnational Mosel and Saar Watershed' (FLOW MS), spanning different regions in Germany, France and Luxembourg. The FPs are voluntary partnerships among communities, local authorities, emergency services, water management departments, professional associations, non-governmental organisations and public action groups in a common watershed. The tools system dynamics and group model building are used in a set of workshops to establish an increased participation of relevant actor groups and the public to achieve a bottom-up approach contributing to the Flood Risk Management Plans of the EU Floods Directive.