Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.1
Scope of flood risk management decisions (Hall et al., 2003c)
Precision of
information
required
Technical aptitude of
decision-makers and
stakeholders
Requirement for
dependable information
Spatial scope of
decision
Tolerable lead-time to
obtain information
Timescale over which
decision will apply
Decision
National policy
Approximate
Must re
ect year-on-year
changes in performance
National
Months
From annual budgets to
policies intended to
apply over decades
Politicians advised by
civil servants
Catchment and
shoreline
management
planning
Approximate
Must be able to distinguish
broad strategic options
Regional,
catchment
Months to years
Sets regional policies
intended to apply
over decades
Technical of
cers, but
a range of
non-technical
stakeholders
Roughly 5-yearly review
Development
control
Detailed
Consistency is expected
Local and regional
development
plans
Months
Decisions very dif
cult
to reverse
Planners
Project appraisal
and design
Very detailed
Costly decisions that are
dif
cult to reverse
Local, though
impacts may
be wider
Months to years
Decades
Engineering designers
Maintenance
Detailed
Need to set maintenance
priorities
Local; regional
prioritization
Weeks
Months to years
Maintenance engineers
and operatives
Operation
Very detailed
Can have a major impact on
ood severity
Local
Hours
Hours
Flood defence engineers
and operatives
Flood warning
Very detailed
Missed warnings can be
disastrous
Regional
Hours
Hours
Flood warning
specialists
False alarms undesirable
Risk communication
Detailed
Inaccurate information will
undermine trust
Local to national
Hours (evacuation) to
years (property
purchase and
improvement)
Days to years
General public
