4th European Conference on Flood Risk Management

Day one and two of the FLOODrisk2020 conference are now over and we would like to thank all our participants, speakers and chairs and co-chairs for your participation in this conference with a difference.

Tomorrow is the last day of the conference, but we still have a lot of content to cover, so please do not forget to come and join us at 9am CEST tomorrow morning.

For those of you who are made co-hosts during the conference, please do be careful NOT to close the breakout rooms. We have seen both today and yesterday that this closes them for all of us.

When you are joining tomorrow, the zoom link will be different, so please refresh your screen before clicking on a join live session link on the FLOODrisk2020 hub.

We hope that you'll continue to enjoy the conference

Please note that the Zoom links for tomorrow's FLOODrisk2020 virtual conference are now live.

Go to hub.floodrisk2020.net and select your preferred hub or the programme page and click on the link to open the zoom call.

There is still time to register to attend. To do this go to https://floodrisk2020.net/registration/ and register.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to the conference tomorrow morning at 9:30am CEST, for the live welcome ceremony. 

The Special Session: Interactive session on urban flood resilience - exploring the role of critical infrastructure and stakeholder engagement will take place virtually on Thursday 24 June 2021 -from13:30 to 15:00. 

The session will be led by Karin de Bruijn, Heather Murdock, Shristi Vadya and Dr. Evalyna Bogdan

In this interactive session we will explore the vulnerability of urban areas to flood and the complexity of flood management in such areas. In the event of a flood, people and businesses in the urban environment often depend on the ability of the city and higher levels of government to cope. There are, however, many actors that need to be involved including not only water specialists and emergency managers but also urban planners, critical infrastructure operators, and the local community as a whole. This session will put participants in the drivers seat to examine how how damage and disruption can be reduced with consideration of the role of critical infrastructure and network effects using the Circle tool. The schedule for this workshop is as follows:

• 10 mins Introduction
• 10 mins Opening presentation  (Dr. Karin de Bruijn)
• 10 mins Introduction to CIrcle  (Heather Murdock & Shristi Vadya)
• 30 mins CIrcle session
• 5 mins Break
• 20 mins Group work presentations
• 10 mins CIrcle online demonstration
• 20 mins Reflection and feedback  (Dr. Evalyna Bodgan)
• 5 mins Closing

We invite anyone interested in enhancing urban flood resilience to join this participatory session. 

Please use the 'add to Schedule' button on the Special Session Programme, to register your interest in participating in this special session.

For more information visit the Special Session Hub and the webpage https://hub.floodrisk2020.net/theme/specials/urban-flood-resilience/.

To access this page, you will need to be registered online. If you haven't done so yet, please Register Now Here. Now is the time to do so, as the conference content is already live, enabling you to view video presentations for both oral and poster presentations.

There are now less than 6 days left till conference day. Are you registered to attend? If not you will be missing out on some groundbreaking presentations and discussions between the world leaders in FLOODrisk management, so make sure to register on floodrisk2020.net/registration/.

We have put together a 10 minutes video to help you get the best out of the FLOODrisk2020 virtual conference. You can find it here on the first plenary hub webpage.

The video explains what you can expect to find in each of the hub.floodrisk2020.net hubs and pages, how to navigate around the website and how to use the tools that we have provided for you to make your journey through the virtual conference as easy and enjoyable as possible.

Most importantly, remember that none of the presentations for the parallel sessions will be shown live. They are already accessible online and will need to be viewed ahead of the live question and answer sessions. Only the presentations for the opening ceremony plenary sessions, the closing ceremony plenary sessions and some of the special sessions will be shown live. Don't worry though, we have allocated enough time ahead of the Q&A sessions for you to view the video presentations.

All live sessions will be ran in Zoom breakout rooms. The Zoom link will be available from any of the 'join live sessions' links on the website. There will be a single Zoom link for each day of the conference. We recommend that you use the Zoom app rather the Zoom website to attend the virtual conference and that you update your Zoom app to the latest version ahead of the meeting.

In any case, we will be there to guide you and help you during the conference on Zoom (under FLOODrisk help) and you can find our contact details in the reception desk hub.

We look forward to welcoming you on Tuesday 22nd June and hope that you'll enjoy the conference in its new virtual format. 

We are delighted to introduce HDR as silver sponsor to the FLOODrisk2020 virtual conference

HDR is an employee-owned design firm specializing in engineering, architecture, environmental and construction services. For more than a century, we have partnered with our clients to shape flood resilient communities and protect and sustain water resources around the world. We approach flood risk management from an integrated perspective. Using nature-based and manmade infrastructure components, our subject matter experts in hydrology, hydraulics, geotechnical and structural engineering, consequences modeling and risk informed decision making engineer flood defence solutions that push the boundaries of what is possible.

We believe that the way we work can add meaning and value to the world. That ideas inspire positive change. That coloring outside the lines can illuminate fresh perspectives. And that small details yield important realizations. Above all, we believe that collaboration is the best way forward. 

Headquartered in the United States, our 10000+ employees work in over 200 locations around the world to deliver projects that build strong communities. To learn more about how we are helping our clients create resilient communities please visit hub.floodrisk2020.net/exhibition/hdr/. 

Please make sure to visit our virtual stand, view the poster, view the video and download the brochure. You can also message us by using the 'Click to message' function on the right hand side.

You can visit the virtual exhibition hall even if you are not yet registered. We would like to take this opportunity though to remind you to register here to attend the conference and make the most of the features already available online.

The video presentations for the FLOODrisk2020 virtual conference are already available online on the conference gateway on hub.floodrisk2020.net for all registered participants.

There are multiple ways that you can access the presentations:

• you can go to the 'programme' page an click on the  icon next to  the session that you are interested in, which will open a detailed information age for this session
• in the programme page, you can also click on the  icon to add the session to your schedule and then from the 'my schedule' window (accessed by clicking on the 'my window' button you can access the detailed information page by clicking on the 'View sessions details link'
• In the gateway homepage, you can select one of the Theme's hub you can view the presentations in the 'View Videos' section or by clicking on the red links in the programme section

Don't forget that you are also able to submit your questions in advance.

Note: video presentations will not be shown live in the sessions during the conference. You will need to navigate through the website to view them. However we have allocated enough time in the programme for you to view the videos, on the virtual conference website, before the Q&A sessions start. 

If you have not yet registered to attend the conference, now is the time to do so to make the most of the conference. Please do so by going to the Registration page on the website.

We hope that you will enjoy the FLOODrisk2020 virtual conference in this new format and look forward to welcoming you on 22 June 2021 at 9:30 CEST (the time in Paris) for our live opening ceremony.

We are delighted to announce that the recorded videos for the conference presentations, whether oral or poster, are now available on the FLOODrisk2020 virtual conference hub.floodrisk2020.net website for registered participants to view.

If you have already registered to attend the conference, you can now make your way to hub.floodrisk2020.net, select the Theme that you are interested in, and select the video that you wish to view from the 'View Videos' section or by clicking on the red links in the programme section. This will load a popup-box enabling you to view the video and download the presentation and paper if they have been provided.

Note that the titles not in red are those for which we have not yet received a video presentation. Videos will be uploaded as and when they are supplied to us, so please come back to the website, regularly between now and the conference start on 22nd June, to view the video presentations.

In the popup boxes, underneath each video and below the programme section in each Theme hub, you will also be able to submit questions for the presentations that you have viewed, ahead of the conference and the Question and Answer sessions that will take place live from 22nd to 24th June. We would be grateful if you could do this, as it would greatly help us in organising those live Q&A sessions. The session chair will then be able to ask those questions for you if you are not able to attend in person or if too many people raise their hands to speak.

Note: video presentations will not be shown live in the sessions during the conference. You will need to navigate through the website to view them. However we have allocated enough time in the programme for you to view the videos, on the virtual conference website, before the Q&A sessions start. 

The videos will be available to view for all registered participants, from today, all the way through the conference and after the conference, giving you plenty of time to view the content of the conference at your leisure. The Q&A sessions will also be recorded and posted to the website, once they are completed, giving you the opportunity to view the discussions that took place during the conference, even if you were not able to participate in those Q&A sessions, making it even more important for you to view the videos and submit your questions in advance.

If you have not yet registered to attend the conference, now is the time to do so to make the most of the conference. Please do so by going to the Registration page on the website.

We hope that you will enjoy the FLOODrisk2020 virtual conference in this new format and look forward to welcoming you on 22 June 2021 at 9:30 CEST (the time in Paris) for our live opening ceremony.

The Special Session: Life Loss Assessment Models and Methods will take place virtually on Wednesday 23 June 2021 from 16:00 to 17:30. Note the timing has changed from 11:00 to accommodate our participants who will be joining the session from the USA.

The session will be led by Karin de Bruijn, Jason Needham, Woodrow Fields, and Paul Risher

This special session will cover the uses of flood fatality models around the world. In some countries, flood risk management laws require quantification of flood fatalities to understand flood risk. Some countries have policy that supports flood fatality modeling, and others are mute on the subject. We’ll discuss how the results of a flood fatality model can inform flood risk management decisions by providing a better understanding of flood risk.

The team will review essential elements of all flood fatality models and survey some of the most frequently used models and methods from around the globe. The scale of model resolution, theoretical basis, and source of empirical data underlying these methods make them useful for different applications. Historical data is important for model validation, but scarce. A few sources of historical information and opportunities to contribute will be discussed.

The US Army Corps of Engineers, developers of LifeSim, will demonstrate their software and discuss its application on a historical dam breach flood. They will show how to load and manipulate input data, run a Monte Carlo evacuation simulation with consideration of uncertainty, and visualize output in maps and figures.  Participants can follow along by downloading the software at: HEC-LifeSim Downloads (army.mil).

Finally, there will be time for the audience to participate in the discussion and ask questions of the panel.

The programme of this special session will include

16:00      Purpose and overview

• Standard elements of flood fatality models
• Application of life loss modeling for flood risk assessments
• Informing flood risk management through life loss modeling

16:10      International flood risk policy

• Survey of laws and policy requiring or benefitting from flood fatality models

16:15      Methods and models

• Review and compare frequently used flood fatality models and methods
• Model application and preferred usage
• Historic validation data – databases of flood fatalities

16.35      LifeSim v 2.0 demonstration

• Review a dam failure case history
• Build and run a HEC-LifeSim model of the historic flood
• Visualize typical model output and results

17:05      Audience participation, questions and answers with session leaders. 

• Standard models

17:30      Closing

Please use the 'add to Schedule' button on the Special Session Programme, to register your interest in participating in this special session.

For more information visit the Special Session Hub and the webpage https://hub.floodrisk2020.net/theme/specials/lifeloss/.

To access this page, you will need to be registered online. If you haven't done so yet, please Register Now Here. Now is the time to do so, as the conference content is already live, enabling you to view video presentations for both oral and poster presentations.

The special session What is the future of communities’ and citizens’ “active involvement” in the delivery FCERM to support proactive resilience? What are the challenge and opportunities for research? will take place virtually on Thursday 24 June 2021 from 13:30 to 15:00.

The session will be led by Dr Clare Twigger-Ross, Dr Simon McCarthy, Dr Jonathan Simm, Paula Orr and Rolands Sadauskis

There is much discussion around the involvement citizens and communities in the delivery of flood resilience. There is some consensus that for flood risk management to be resilient it needs to focus on all aspects of resilience: resistance, adaptation and transformation.  In so doing diversity in flood risk management strategies becomes more important bringing with it multi-stakeholder and multi-level governance. Involving communities and citizens in the delivery of FCERM becomes central as flood risk is played out at the local level.   This interactive session draws on recent review work (Twigger-Ross et al, 2021 see link below) from England looking at the role of citizens and communities in flood and coastal erosion risk management activities, specifically in terms of managing uncertainty and future risks through adaptation and transformation (proactive resilience).  Whilst there is a clear pull in terms of legitimacy, normative and instrumental objectives for the increased involvement of communities and citizens in the delivery of FCERM, there are also clear challenges:  what does multi-stakeholder working look like in practice? Who gets heard? What evidence do we have that it increases resilience? How does the local link up with the national? What are the impacts on those  flood affected citizens who do get involved? Given that the focus of the evidence is on the UK this session will be an opportunity to compare and contrast evidence and  experiences from around the world.

The programme of this special session will include:

13.30 Introductions: Participants to enter in chat function their name, organisation, country, topics of interest

13.35 Current and possible futures for communities and citizens  Presentation (Dr. Clare Twigger-Ross, CEP) Dr Twigger-Ross will present from research carried out for the Environment Agency (England) as part of the development of the Communities and FCERM Research and Development Framework which was published in April 2021. She will present an overview of the work focussing on the three aims of the framework and the gaps identified within the areas of literature reviewed and the proposed areas for research specifically with a focus on proactive resilience – adaptation and transformation together with some key questions for the future of involvement. (20 mins)

13.55 Discussion in small groups: (the participants will be divided into small groups of 6 – 8 to discuss the following questions –each group will have a facilitator to aid the discussion and the Jamboard will be used to enable people to put up their views. The questions will be the following:

• How does what you have heard match with your understanding of the evidence?
• What do you see as the most important issues for research in this area?
• What do you see as the challenges for research in this area? 
• Where are there the opportunities?

The discussion in small groups will be for 20  minutes. This will be followed by a plenary session of 15  minutes to hear from each of the groups and to bring the ideas together.

14.25  Challenge Panel and discussion on Communities’ and citizens’ involvement challenges and Opportunities – Where next? – Key experts from different perspectives in FCERM (regulatory, academic, operational, and communities) including Prof Lindsay McEwen.  Each expert will be given 5 minutes to make their points and then there will be a chance for discussion. The session will last 40 minutes.

15.00 Round up and final points (5 minutes)
Before the session participants are encouraged to look at the publications from the research which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-research-reports/flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-research-and-development-framework-working-with-communities

Please use the 'add to Schedule' button on the Special Session Programme, to register your interest in participating in this special session.

For more information visit the Special Session Hub and the webpage https://hub.floodrisk2020.net/theme/specials/role-of-communities/.

To access this page, you will need to be registered online. If you haven't done so yet, please Register Now Here.