Flood Hazards: Impacts and Responses for the Built Environment

A 360-degree view of the response to flood risk

As major flooding events around the world show, the impact of flooding on the built environment can cause widespread chaos. These flood events form part of a wider pattern of increasing flood frequency coupled with increased vulnerability of the built environment to flood hazard. Flood risk can unite or divide communities and the responses to potential risk can range from denial to perfect adaptation.

Drawing on the experience of communities and experts, Flood Hazards: Impacts and Responses for the Built Environment offers guidance on managing urban flooding and flood risk. It brings together a diversity of viewpoints and experiences on flood impacts and responses from leading academics, flood restoration specialists, emergency responders, architects, planning consultants, insurers, policymakers, and community representatives. By including the perspective of the community and the views of households and businesses at risk, this volume makes a unique contribution to the literature on flood management.

The chapter organization loosely corresponds to the phases of the disaster management cycle, covering emergency preparation and response; recovery, repair, and reconstruction; and mitigation and adaptation. Contributors examine the types of impacts and discuss forecasting and emergency warning. They describe processes and good practice in recovery of flood-damaged property from the perspectives of the insurance industry, restorers, and loss adjusters. The book also deals with business continuity, land-use planning, property-level and infrastructure protection, and urban drainage, looking at the regulation and design of the built environment as one way to reduce risk. A section on community response to flooding sheds light on the experiences of flood-affected families.

Written for students, practitioners, and researchers in flood risk management, as well as for professionals who may encounter flood-related issues in the course of their work, this cross-disciplinary book makes a valuable contribution towards designing a future built environment that is more resilient to flood risk.

Jessica Lamond, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., is a research fellow in the Department of the Built Environment at the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. Her areas of research specialism are in the field of flood risk management and property valuation studies. She has conducted research projects for research councils, government departments, the Environment Agency, private industry, and the RICS.

David Proverbs, B.Sc., PG.Cert. Ed., Ph.D., FCIOB, FHEA, is Professor of Construction Management and Head of the Construction and Property Department at the University of the West of England. He has published over 200 refereed journal/conference papers, is Editor of the International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, and is an editorial board member for a range of international journals.

Colin Booth, B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., PGCE, FRGS, MSEE, is a Reader in Environmental Engineering and Head of Built Environment research at the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, with a background in environmental modeling. He has an international research profile and has authored or co-authored approximately eighty scientific publications (articles and chapters) in international peer-reviewed journals and books. He is also an editorial board member for several international journals.

Felix Hammond, B.Sc., PGCE, MBA, LLM, Ph.D., MGIS, FHEA, is a senior lecturer and a member of the Surveying and Property research group in the Department of the Built Environment at the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. He is a real estate economics and finance specialist with considerable experience in real estate policy and development economics related research and analysis.