Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Alteration of Graphical Part of Local Flood
Management Plans Using Geoinformatics:
Scottish and Czech Approaches
Petr Vahal´k and Pˇemysl Janata
Introduction
Floods in the Czech Republic are the most relevant extremes found in nature, for
other natural catastrophes more destructive in extent, such as large earthquakes, do
not occur here, and strong winds do not achieve so devastating effects known from
other parts of the world. Floods come as a result of complex influence caused by
many factors, namely meteorological (e.g. rainfall), physiogeographical
(e.g. properties of surfaces), and anthropogenic ones (changes in the landuse).
These factors have a substantial impact on the time and space variability in the
flood occurrence rates, on their strength, size and extent of effects. The catastrophic
flood in July of 1997 on the upper and central Morava and Odra rivers is still in
living memory, not having a parallel in the Czech Republic in the twentieth century
as regards the culmination flow rates, the length of duration, the extent of the area
affected, the loss in human lives (52 people) and material damage (62.6 billion
Czech crowns). Another catastrophic flood followed in eastern Bohemia in July of
1998, with 6 human lives marred and material damage of around 2 billion Czech
crowns. The following flood calamity in Bohemia, on the Vltava, the Labe and
other rivers in August of 2002 led to the death of 19 people and the material damage
amounted to approximately 73 billion Czech crowns (Br´zdil et al.
2005
).
The flood management strategy includes: (1) pre-flood measures, (2) flood
forecasting, and (3) post-flood measures. Pre-flood measures provide the natural,
institutional and social infrastructure for the viable management of a flood risk.
Strategies for preventive flood management include: technical measures to control
and manage the flood (small dams and projects on the retention and stabilization of
river banks); regulating measures for land use and the planning of settlements; and
