Background Information
Flooding occurs in many countries around the world and the need to have proper response plan is inevitable. The case in no different this year as floods continue to hit various countries around the world leaving deaths and property damage on its way. A recent report by the United Nations, The Human Cost of Weather-related Disasters 1995-2015 documents the danger posed by floods around the world and the lack of preparedness among several institutions involved. From 1995 to date, flooding has accounted for over 47% of weather related disasters which is significant when compared to other disasters. In recent years, flooding disasters have increased by 171 floods per year as compared to the previous decade where the increase was only 127 (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2015).
Flood Emergency Systems and Policies: Global Context
Around the world, various countries and international humanitarian agencies have come up with flood emergency systems and policies address the disaster. The systems and policies encompass effective strategies that are both aimed at pro-active as well as pro-recovery approaches to dealing with the disaster. The complete protection from the natural disasters is a myth underscoring the need for effective systems and policies. Most flood emergency systems encompass a multi-agency approach with both the government and the private sector involved. According to World Meteorological Organization (2011) flood emergency systems and policies help in reducing the damage that is often caused by floods.
Flood emergency planning is necessary in many levels; from the national level to the district level as well as sub-district and they community level. Though flood emergency systems are developed for emergencies at particular geographic locations, such systems should be structured in parallel with basin-wide flood management planning. While developing the flood systems, one of the most important interactions is made during the assessment of flood risks. While the basin level flood risks are a total of all the local risks, basin level policies as well as the development activities have a definite effect on the flood risk at the local level. Therefore, it is valuable to identify a mechanism and strategy that will ensure constant interaction between the two processes.
Structural measure such as flood moderation reservoirs, floodwalls as well as bypass channels reduces the possibility or degree of exposure of flooding through the relevant operation. Notably, the operational rules for such structural measures should be carefully planned in accordance with flood discharge in to the reservoirs including discharge from extreme rainfall. There are cases where the structural measure may prove to be insufficient; therefore, flood-proofing methods should be employed to ensure that the damages are minimized. Flood proofing entails the provision of semi structural measures to mitigate the damaging impact of the flooding by avoiding exposure to floodwaters (World Meteorological Organization, 2011). .
Emergency blood proofing methods involve erecting temporary structures, building sand bag walls, as well as keeping sensitive infrastructure and livelihood safe. Sometimes the floods may exceed the level of blood proofing protection that is provided. In this case the emergency systems are required to include securing property as well as vacating premises during bad floods. For the whole process to be efficient, forecast as well as flood warnings must be monitored closely and used in adaptive emergency flood management practices. Notably, community communities can be organized to serve representatives and local partners for the basin planning. The food emergency plans should be reviewed as basin wide food management systems are implemented. This may require capacity building at community level. Participatory structuring of systems motivates the various stake holders and it enhances cooperation thus encouraging regular cooperation.
One of the most common policies that are used around the world is increasing awareness among the people that live in flood prone areas. The World Meteorological Organization (2011) recognizes this as the basic policy for many countries since some of the infrastructure that is built to prevent flooding may damage the environment. Moreover, the cost of constructing such infrastructure is very expensive and some countries choose to increase awareness before the funds are allocated for the construction.
Flood emergency systems that are used around the world can b divided into three stages; preparedness, response and recovery. Preparedness refers to the measures that are taken before the flooding happens to guarantee an effective response. Response, on the other hand, refers to the measures that are taken by various agencies to reduce the effects that are caused by flooding. Moreover, after the flooding, the communities where the flooding took place try to rebuild and this is what is referred to as recovery (World Meteorological Organization, 2011).
Preparedness is one of the major steps that any country can take to avert the devastating effect that are caused by floods. This often includes intervention measures such as early warnings, temporary evacuations as well as creating public awareness. Most countries have in place flood emergency preparedness plans that provide information to various agencies on how the issue of floods can be approached. The plans outline the role of local, district as well as national levels of governments if the disaster is to happen. Early warnings are also given by the government as part of the intervention measures to ensure that the citizens are aware of the possibility of floods. Once the floods occur, the way a country responds may partly determine the success in controlling the floods. Intervention measures such as protection of critical infrastructure and needs assessment are use to reduce the destruction of the floods. Moreover, those who are affected by the floods are evacuated and taken to safe shelters.
Kundezewicz et al. (2015) recognize that floods in recent times have increased in unprecedented rates. Countries such as Pakistan, India as well as China have expressed large floods in recent times where China has reported damages of over $51 billion. In the African region, the case is not different as countries such as Kenya, Uganda, Namibia and South Africa experiencing increased rainfall which has often led to floods. Just recently, floods caused damages in Kenya where a building collapsed leaving behind ten dead and damaged a lot of property. In the U.S, the flood witnessed this year have also caused significant damage and loss of lives pointing to th fact that floods pose a significant risk to the world if not controlled.
Figure 1: The map above illustrates the dangers floods cause by documenting over 3, 713 events (Kundezewicz et al., 2015).
The recent United Nations report indicates that floods in the Asian and African region pose a greater risk as compared to other regions. Nevertheless, the same risk is also increasing in the South American region and the European region which have posted increasing floods in recent years. For example, from 1995-2004, 560,000 people were affected by floods in the South American region. However, from 2004-2014 the number increased to 2.2 million people; what is more alarming is just that in the year 2015, 820,000 people were affected by floods in the region pointing to the fact the that the danger of floods is expected to increase in coming years. The worrying trend that is associated with flood is that the number of deaths during floods has also increased. In 2007, India and Bangladesh recorded the highest deaths at 3,300 while in 2010; China and Pakistan recorded the highest floods at 1,900 and 2,100 respectively. The deaths recorded in India in 2013 were 6,500 revealing the worrying trend that is associated with floods.
The increasing nature of disastrous floods has also been attributed to various factors. Increase in flash floods, coastal flooding and climate change are just some of the factors. Moreover, urbanization has also caused an increase in flooding in some regions. The floods have also caused an increase in water-borne disease s even though this is dealt with by the World Health Organization. The United Nations reports suggests that children are often the most affected by the floods since those that are exposed to floods in their first year of growth experience stunted growth. This stems from the fact that flood lead to loss of agricultural produce and interrupts food supply that are meant for the children. Floods in the global context cause serious health as well as social economic concerns and the control of floods should be considered to be a developmental issue and a humanitarian concern that should be addressed with urgency (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015, p.13).
In the U.K, one in every six homes risks flooding and government has recognized the risk posed by flooding and come up with a framework to address the risks posed by flooding. The framework emergency system gives the government a strategic approach in solving in dealing with floods once they occur. The foundation of the framework is to provide stakeholders with the relevant information when dealing with floods. Moreover, the framework also aims to protect human life during floods and support normal operations even when the floods occur.
Objectives and Scope of the Report
This report seeks to identify the key issues that relate to flood emergency policies and systems. Moreover, the essay will also identify the existing or proposed interventions to flooding with a critical analysis of the interventions. The other aim of the report is to critically analyze U.K’s approach to flood management and make appropriate recommendations on how it can be enhanced.
Key issues related to flood emergency policies
Flooding is generally caused by a combination of human activity as well as human activity and natural bodily situations, and consequences vary. In establishing the risk that is posed by flooding, account needs to be taken of the likely depth, speed as well as extent of inundation the potential for anticipatory action to be taken as a result of pre-planning and advance warnings. Some of the key issues include the causes, impacts and the sources of flooding, flooding facts as well as the impact of climate change.
Causes
Flooding is contended to be a natural event; the water cycle is a balanced system. Water that flows in to one part of the cycle, like in the case of streams is balanced by the water that flows back to the sea. However, sometimes the amount that flows into a single are is greater than the capacity of the system to hold it within natural confines. This results to a flood which may be seen when the amount of water arriving on land exceeds the capacity of land or the drainage-system to discharge the water (Shrum, 2013). These can occur in any location but it mainly occurs to land that is adjacent to fluvial flood plains as well as low lying ground next to the coast. The pounding of the surface runoff in the urban areas may not be spared either.
Firstly, the building developments in the floodplains, where they are vulnerable to flood hazards as well as built development in catchments and other changes in land use that increase the rate of volume of runoff in a catchment. The sediment movement that alters the river-cross sections and affecting flood levels should are also issues to be considered. Moreover, the lack of maintenance of the flood defense systems, watercourses and culverts and the road gullies, specifically where this leads to the blockage of these vital channels. The canalization, modification as well as the diversion of rivers which increases the rate of flow and decreases the time taken for the water to travel within a catchment area should also be considered. Lastly, the building structures that make it hard for the water to flow as well as the land management practices that leads to the blockage of the hydraulic structures should be corrected. All these manmade factors that may lead to flooding should be looked into before policies of flood emergencies are put in place (Doocy et al., 2013).
Impacts
The severity of the impact or the damage that is caused by the flood should be identified before the various policies are put in place. The larger the flow the velocity the higher the risk or damage and injury (Shimi et al., 2010). Moreover, the time as well as the rate of onset of inundation warning determines the time to prepare for a looming disaster. The depth as well as the duration of inundation and contaminants are among the common factors that influence the severity if the impacts. The consequences of flooding vary with the land use. Overtopping and the possible failure of flood defense protecting a densely populated urban area is a high risk. Moreover, the similar event affecting agricultural land is not likely to involve a serious threat to life or the same degree of economic consequence. Generally, the rapid flows that are caused by flash flooding of the sea following the failure or overtopping of defenses generally pose a great risk to life than the steady rise of water. The impacts that are cause by flooding should be a source for concern for the various stakeholders involved in intervention measures.
Interventions
If the key issues that are related to flooding are addressed, then some of the existing in addition to proposed interventions can play a key role in mitigating the floods. One of the main interventions used by government agencies is public education of the individuals that are affected by floods. According to the European Union (2006), education about floods is one of the main intervention measures that are used to counter flood. Those are affected are able to understand how they may reduce the risks that are associated with flooding. This is a very good intervention measure because the public is made aware of the risks of flooding and the possible ways of countering the floods. According to Brody, Highfield, and Kang (2011) also underscore the importance of public education when it comes to flooding. Therefore, public education is a key intervention measure when it flooding.
Moreover, the evacuation of people from the areas that have been affected by flooding is also a key intervention measure. According to Pavloska (2014), evacuation forms an integral part of most of the flooding emergency plans. The people likely to be affected by the floods should be aware of the areas they are to meet and this will act as the intervention points. Moreover, this intervention measure also involves providing information on the evacuation routes and the areas that are prioritized. Furthermore, the agencies involved should also provide information on the access routes that are dangerous so that those involved in the interventions can avoid the routes (Parker, 2014). This is a good intervention measure because it provides the agencies involved with a way of saving more people and reducing the number of deaths due to flooding. Additionally, the evacuation intervention is also good because it includes a plan in case future floods happen in the same area.
According to Saidu and Lal (2015) proper urban planning is also used as a way of dealing with floods. The lack of proper urban planning is one of the main causes of flooding in urban areas and if cities are planned properly then chances of flooding due to manmade factors are reduced. Governments around the world are addressing the issue of proper urban planning so as to ensure that in case of high rainfalls, floods do not occur. Moreover, building of infrastructure such as dams and dykes is also use as an intervention measure of dealing with floods. Governments around the world have increasingly built dams so as to collect more rain water and avoid flooding in high risk areas (San et al., 2015).
Critical Analysis of England’s Approach
The National Flood Emergency Framework for England has both its good and bad sides. The framework recognizes that a large number of properties in the country are susceptible to flooding hence the need for the framework to guide in the intervention measures. The good aspects of the framework include the first part which aims to equip the stakeholders with background knowledge on floods. The stakeholders targeted by the framework include emergency planners as well as the responders since they are often the first ones on site in case of flooding. The Framework provides the planners and responders with information of what the emergency framework is all about and how to integrate it into their intervention measures. The framework is also good because it outlines how the planners and responders can deal with flooding from the sea, rivers, surface water, groundwater and reservoirs.
Furthermore, the framework is also bound to work because it also provides a legal framework for the planners and responders. The planners and responders need to be aware of the legal framework because all the activities they perform must conform to the legal framework. Moreover, the tools provided in the framework to guide in flood emergency also work because they have been proven. The tools provided in the framework include public warnings and education about floods has been proven to work in other places. The other good part of the framework is that it recognizes the role various agencies play during flooding. Communication is also an important aspect when it comes to dealing with floods and effective may partly determine the success of mitigating the floods and England’s framework also documents this aspect. Other good parts of the framework include the documentation of health consequences of flooding, flood recue as well as flood preparedness.
The other part of the framework that makes the approach good is the fact that it recognizes that flooding can be either local or national. For instance, figure 2.2 of the framework provides the level of emergency as well as description and level of engagement that should be involved at both the national and local level. It is important that the level of coordination at both the local and national and local level is harmonized so that in case of flooding, the intervention measures that are undertaken at both levels do not collide. England’s approach is bound to work because of this harmonization since each level of government will be aware of its roles whenever there is a flood emergency.
Data gathering during disasters is one of the most important methods of coming up with future intervention measures. The framework for England has a part dedicated to data gathering and this is also one of the reasons that will make the plan will work. Data gathering will help the agencies involved determine the impact that any flood has and the number of people affected. Moreover, the data gathered during the floods will also enable the government determine the number of businesses affected by the floods. It is through the data gathered that the agencies involved will also determine the number of people that need help and estimate the funds that are required for those affected to get help.
Furthermore, the good part of the framework provided by England is that it is also supported law particularly The Civil Contingencies Act 2004. This Act stipulates the role that each agency that is involved in the flood emergency. For example, local authorities are required to assess the risk of the floods and share the information to the national level. The other parts of law that provide support for the framework include The Reservoirs Act 1975 and the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
Although England’s approach to flooding emergencies is great, there are some factors that can change to make the framework even better. The framework should document the areas that are most prone to flooding and the measures taken to prevent flooding in the areas. Moreover, I also think that the framework should also document how manmade factor contribute to flooding in the country. The other aspect that has to change about the framework is that more agencies have to be involved so as to improve the rescue efforts. Furthermore, the framework should also provide information as to how the rescue measures will be funded by the various agencies so as to improve on transparency. However, the framework is great and can be used for some years to come to deal with flooding emergencies.
Bibliography
Brody,, S., Highfield,, W. and Kang, J. (2011). Rising Waters: The Causes and Consequences of Flooding in the United States. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Doocy, S., Daniels, A., Murray, S. and Kirsch, T. (2013). The Human Impact of Floods: a Historical Review of Events 1980-2009 and Systematic Literature Review – PLOS Currents Disasters. [online] Currents.plos.org. Available at: http://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/the-human-impact-of-floods-a-historical-review-of-events-1980-2009-and-systematic-literature-review/ [Accessed 2 May 2016].
Kundzewicz, Z., Kanae, S., Seneviratne, S., Handmer, J., Nicholls, N., Peduzzi, P., Mechler, R., Bouwer, L., Arnell, N., Mach, K., Muir-Wood, R., Brakenridge, G., Kron, W., Benito, G., Honda, Y., Takahashi, K. and Sherstyukov, B. (2013). Flood risk and climate change: global and regional perspectives. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59(1), pp.1-28.
Parker, D. (2014). Floods. London: Routledge.
Pavlovska, N. (2014). Strategic Water Management: International Experience and Practices. Paris: UNESCO.
Saidu, I. and Lal, M. (2015). Flood risk inevitability and flood risk management in urban areas: A review. J. Geogr. Reg. Plann., 8(8), pp.205-209.
Shimi, A., Parvin, G., Biswas, C. and Shaw, R. (2010). Impact and adaptation to flood: A focus on water supply, sanitation and health problems of rural community in Bangladesh. Disaster Prevention and Management, 19(3), pp.298-313.
Shrum, W. (2013). What caused the flood? Controversy and closure in the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Social Studies of Science, 44(1), pp.3-33.
Son, C., Baek, J., Ban, Y. and Ha, S. (2015). The Effects of Mitigation Measures on Flood Damage Prevention in Korea. Sustainability, 7(12), pp.16866-16884.
The National Flood Emergency Framework for England. (2014). 1st ed. London: The National Archives.
UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, (2015). The Human Cost of Weather-related Disasters 1995-2015. 1st ed. [ebook] Geneva: UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Available at: http://www.unisdr.org/2015/docs/climatechange/COP21_WeatherDisastersReport_2015_FINAL.pdf. [Accessed 2 May 2016].
World Metereological Organization, (2011). Integrated Flood Management (IFM). 1st ed. [ebook] Geneva: World Meteorological Organization. Available at: http://www.apfm.info/publications/tools/APFM_Tool_11.pdf [Accessed 2 May 2016].
