Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
13
Integrated Urban Flood Modelling
ADRIAN J. SAUL, SLOBODAN DJORDJEVI ´ ,
CEDO MAKSIMOVI ´ AND JOHN BLANKSBY
Introduction
in the way in which flood and surface water is
managed. This shift is a primary driver in the
Urban Flood Management components of the
Flood Risk Management Research Consortium
(FRMRC) Phase 1, which comprise the topic of
this chapter.
Recent urban floods have highlighted the need to
better understand the performance of our natural
andman-made drainage systems to reduce the risk
of urban flooding and to better protect the envi-
ronment. Such future systems need to be sustain-
able from a technical, environmental, social and
economic viewpoint. Delivery of such sustainable
systems is a function of changes in several key
drivers, for example climate change, population
growth, carbon and water footprints, changing
customer behaviour and perceptions, and the need
to meet new legislation. To meet these challenges
the UK government stimulated the Foresight re-
view (Evans et al. 2004, 2008), and this clearly
identified that the impact of climate change and
increased urbanization will see significant in-
creases in the occurrence of urban floods. In re-
sponse, the 'Water Strategy for England - Future
Water' (Defra 2008) highlights the UK govern-
ment's long-term vision for water and the frame-
work for water management in England, with a
need to forecast, prevent and better manage urban
floods. This, together with the Pitt Review
(Pitt 2008), which examined the causes of the
floods that occurred in the UK in the summer of
2007, with 92 recommendations to improve all
aspects of urbanflooding fromforecasting to emer-
gency planning and response, have provided the
UK government and UK water industry with an
outstanding opportunity to make a paradigm shift
Legislation and stakeholder engagement
The UK has to meet both UK and European Union
(EU) regulation, and in respect of surface water
management, there are many key stakeholders
with a responsibility for urban floods. As shown
in Figure 13.1, these include the Department for
Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the
Environment Agency (EA), local and planning
authorities, the Highways Agency, the water ser-
vice providers, internal drainage boards, British
Waterways and landowners. Therefore the ap-
proach has to be integrated and involve all stake-
holders. Future Water (Defra 2008) sets out a
strategy for the development of Surface Water
Management Plans (SWMPs) for the future inte-
grated management of urban floods with guidance
published byDefra (2009). This guidance builds on
the outputs of the Defra Making Space for Water
pilot projects (Defra 2008; Gill 2008), and provides
a framework to guide local partnerships (EA, local
government, water companies and other stake-
holders) to take the necessary steps to prepare for
an integrated flood risk assessment, to complete
the assessment, to identify remedial measures and
options and their cost benefit, and subsequently to
implement and review the selected strategies to
reduce urban flood risk. This guidance highlights
the need for newmodels for a better understanding
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