Flood Risk Engineering (Term Paper Sample)

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Flood Risk Engineering
Introduction
Management of water is one of the key elements in building, regeneration of urban projects in maximizing the potential of the developments. This is supposed to maintain an environment which is sustainable and effective for various developments. Management of flood risks is a vital event in every profile of any country at present. The impact of the risk was observed back in 2007 in the UK, and the effect brought a lot of impact especially those of tsunamis which have been affecting nations (Molden, 2007). Engineers have to work with other specialists in essence of realizing diverse and complex projects of flood risking. They are trained in doing Flood Risk Assessments (FRAs) in planning applications in which flood risks and water drainage issues are solved.
Engineers apply strategic water assessments in outstanding urban and rural regeneration schemes that are sited on the flood plain lands. The Environment Agencies and the authorities of planning to facilitate greater understanding of these fields (Cullingworth & Vincent, 1997) give clients planning consents in which a pleasant working environment has to be assured. The teams involved in flood risk management will have to draw a range of skills from engineering section especially in the hydrological analysis, surface run offs, calculation of storm and foul designs, and hydraulic modeling to deliver specialist solutions of complex solutions of projects especially in the most sensitive and in difficult environments.
In this essay discussion of flood risk management, it is true that all around the world, a number of choices have to be made on the number and the levels of risks which have to be well managed by the managers responsible in working in various environments. The environment work include; the economic, institutional, and the political environment that constraint the process every single day. The government should decide on the flooding risk and be prepared to accept it as a challenge and look for factors of minimizing it and determine its appropriateness (Carter et al, 2010).
With this effect, a number of solutions can be suggested by the government and the right one to apply depends on the resources available and number of constraints in which it is working with. For instance, the government may decide to design strategies of maintaining the current flood expenditures and prices, and accept reduced standards in protecting floods, and thus substantial increase in flood risks. The effect will be an increase in expected economic damages if the policy is endorsed.
The second factor is to reduce the portfolio of responses in floods that measure levels at which are similar to the present responses. They can also, thirdly, reduce the risks further which in essence may be difficult in different sustainability to some scenarios, which may be applicable in some areas, and may not be feasible to other sides of the coin. The above strategies are the possible ways of solving the risk problems and hence, the urge for the government to investigate on the likely policies that are effective and associated effectively in legislation to manage flood risk scenarios. In this research topic, the focus shall be investigating the effective and potential effectiveness of applying the UK and the EC policy and designing potential legislation measures to address the risk of amid concerns that are related to climate change (Miranda et.al, 2011). At the same time, examples of responsible bodies at local, national or in international levels shall be discussed. The diagram below will be the guide in realizing this project discussion:


Discussion
Flood Risk Assessment, a Budding Environmental Dare
The headline of hitting floods in the UK has tightened the food protection and legislation of regulatory regimes. These regimes need be developed so as to satisfy in the planning of risks in the United Kingdom. The greatest agency involved in this regime is called the Flood Assessment (FRA) to obtaining the planning consent, this program immensely crucial in almost all the planning application. If there is inadequate FRA in a nation, then the Local authorities or most environmental agencies are likely to refuse the planning consents on the basis that it is inadequate. The risk of flooding is increasing in importance in the UK as one of the approaches leading to national infrastructure and the utilities which industries should understand in designing an approach which can lead to continuity of businesses thus protecting the climate (Philander, 2008).
Assessment using the Local Know how skills
This strategy is build based on experience of the specialist hydrological skills. This strategy is backed up by the 3D modeling of computer in line with the Environmental Agency requirements. The service involves analysis of data, flood history, field surveys, and the local topology in determining the flood probability in investigating ground waters. An analysis of the waters near rivers and coastal regions will provide an overview of risks that appertain in the project. Another strategy designed is called the cost effective Drainage System (SuDS) that helps in controlling the impact of surface drainage so as to ensure that ground water is of quality (Peng & Qiyuan, 2009).
The UK need to develop approaches which will link the financial consequences of flood control while looking at the economic tools that underlie the mitigating factors against flood control risks in business. At the same time, they need to look at the other factors of prioritizing the flood measures of mitigation so s to include them in the project.
Smoothing of the Planning process
Application of European policy, and the EC policy in regulation
Planning officers and environmentalist agencies should give confidence in planning applications and get backed up by a comprehensive FRA. The FRA is one of the USR services which integrate all environmental issues that extend to a detailed engineering plan. Implementing this aspect of will help in reducing risks resulting from delays and even to cost overruns of businesses (Joelson et. al, 2001). The aspect of reducing risks resulting from floods will not only reduce losses of human activities, but also reduce the socio-economic effects and ensure that the flat areas are used coastal places are used up by people. The need to adopt an integrated system in risk management was reflected first in the Flood Directive of the European government.
This European program was explicitly designed to cover a wide range of activities and topics from drivers to the natural processes to models and decisions of socio-economic consequences of the institutional environment. Some other programs in the globe that ensures that there is Flood Risk Management include; the UNESCO-IHE for water Education in Netherlands, University of Ljubljana found in Slovenia, Technical University of Dresden, found in Germany, and the Technical University of Catalonia found in Spain. Their associated members include the following: European hydraulic laboratories.
The UK and the EC policy require that there should be sustainable flood management in the managing risk in a sustainable manner. It provides guidance in which the core policy framework gives a direct implication that is involved in flood risk and management. This agency need to be issued with a number which is not later than 18 months in which that the Act is started. In assessing the social and economic environmental aspects or cost in environmental and economic effects of exercising risk functions, the EC policy requires guidance on various matters which cover up to the cost benefit analysis in covering the flood risk plans of management.
The other sectorial area that is required is the local authorities upon the requisition from ministerial direction to prepare schedules required to clear and prepare works. Developing the group associated to risk management is another strategy of UK and EU policy where by the group implements tasks of managing risks by drawing assessment maps, flood maps, and the general guidelines of understanding the risks plus its impacts. Develop management plans to include setting of objectives and policies of local and international risk management specifically designed to measure full flooding problems and allocation alignment. This group will also, in addition, deal with new statutory processes and implementation of Flood management risks.
National prosperity in flood management
This is also one of the strategies designed by the national bodies to reduce and mitigate effects of floods in the areas affected. The framework sets out plans of the government, and extends it to the local councilors who produce distinctive plans concerning the project. The planning law requires applications for planning to be determined by the development plan. The local authorities preparing the plan should also have a sufficient framework upon which the decisions of reducing risks will be featured. In achieving a sustainable development, the UK has developed a strategy of securing the future by setting up the five principles which will lead to its realization.
The five principles are; living within an environment that is within the limits of the planet, achieving a sustainable economy, promote good governance, use of proper sound science in a responsible manner, and having a just and healthy society thereby achieve a sustainable environment with three dimensions of economic, environmental, and social development.
The economic role will try to build a strong, responsible and a very competitive economy that has sufficient land in ensuring that there is good support of growth and innovation to coordinate development, the social role is supposed to feature vibrant and health communities by supplying them with ...