flooddefense

Flooddefense refers to the set of measures designed to reduce the risk and impact of flooding on people, property, infrastructure, and ecosystems. It combines engineering, land-use planning, and emergency management to minimize flood damages and to improve resilience in at-risk areas. Flooddefense strategies can be structural, non-structural, or a combination of both, and are typically tailored to local hydrology, climate, and socio-economic conditions.

Structural approaches include hard engineering such as levees or dikes, flood barriers, floodwalls, seawalls, dams and reservoirs, pump stations, and tidal gates. Soft engineering aims to work with natural processes, such as restoring wetlands and floodplains, river restoration, reforestation, and building green infrastructure to absorb or slow flood waters. Urban design may incorporate permeable pavements, green roofs, and rainwater harvesting to reduce runoff.

Non-structural measures emphasize land-use planning, zoning, and building code adaptations to minimize exposure; flood forecasting, early warning systems, and emergency response planning; flood insurance and financial risk transfer; and public education to increase preparedness and resilience.

Examples of large-scale flood defense programs include the Netherlands Delta Works, the Thames Barrier in London, the Red River Floodway in Canada, and extensive levee systems along the Mississippi River. Effective flood defense typically relies on a layered approach, combining multiple measures across time and space to reduce risk and adapt to changing climate conditions.