The traditional approach to flood management involves focuses on flood protection—on fighting the waters and keeping them out. Today, the cutting edge of flood management strategies comprises of holistic approaches that also take into account socio-economic considerations.
This video investigates challenges to holistic approaches. The case in point is the ‘Room for the River’ project commissioned by the Dutch federal government. The project focuses on working on landscapes to increase the discharge capacity of rivers during times of flood, when they have extra water. At times, this involves asking some households to relocate, a step usually met by some resistance. Consultations between stakeholders—governments, media and floodplain residents—reflects a complex effort to arrive at a mutually agreeable trade-off between present inconvenience and future security.
This video was produced by students of UNESCO-IHE, Delft, The Netherlands.
More info: http://www.unesco-ihe.org/Flood-Management-Education-Platform
Produced by: UNESCO-IHE
Year: 2011
Language: English and Dutch
