Teacher guide Flood

Teacher guide Flood management Flooding Flood Risk Management (FRM) is constantly changing and evolving. In recent years, many countries have developed a more integrated FRM approach, but there is still a great deal of local and regional variation. For example, some countries have one body responsible for managing flood risk, whereas in others this responsibility is devolved to regional or local authorities. Some countries focus more on building flood defences, whereas others focus on land use planning or encouraging individuals to prepare their properties. These differences might be due to different needs, different political focus or different budgets. Not all countries have the financial means to build flood defences. In this project, students will research and evaluate different local flood management plans, and then make recommendations for their own local area based on its specific needs. Prompts • Is your area at high flood risk? What kind of flooding is it most at risk of? What are the likely consequences of flooding in your local area? Which of these consequences are the most problematic? Students could create their own risk assessment, rating the different flood risks by likelihood and by potential damage caused. • What is the current flood management strategy in your local area? Encourage students to evaluate the current strategy – do they think this is effective? Why, or why not? • Encourage students to think about other implications of their ideas, e.g. cost and infrastructure. Will any of the measures they plan to implement affect local people? How? What might the reaction be? 18

Student brief Flood management Flooding (Geography, flooding, climate change, environment) Have you ever wondered if flood management is the same everywhere? Imagine you work for a local council. You have been asked to write a flood management strategy for your local area. You will need to consider both mitigation and adaptation measures, and think about who will be responsible for these. Getting started Start finding out about the flood risks in your local area, and think about which strategies would be appropriate in light of this. Conduct some research into the current flood management strategy in your area, and different flood management plans around the world. Things to think about • Is your area at high flood risk? What kind of flooding is it most at risk of? • What are the likely consequences of flooding in your local area? Which of these consequences are the most problematic? • What is the current flood management strategy in your local area? • Which parts of the world have a similar situation? Are there aspects of their strategies you could incorporate into your own plan? • Why do flood management strategies vary so much? • How can you evaluate which measures from other areas have been successful or unsuccessful? • What are the practical implications of your strategy? Have you thought about cost and who will be responsible for the different aspects of your plan? Where will the money, time and infrastructure come from? • Will any of the measures you plan to implement affect local people? How? What might the reaction be? Useful resources • Check the long term flood risk for an area in England https://flood-warninginformation.service.gov.uk/long-term-flood-risk • Flood Maps (Scotland) https://sepa.org.uk/environment/water/flooding/flo od-maps/ • Flood risk maps (Wales) https://naturalresources.wales/evidence-anddata/maps/long-term-flood-risk/?lang=en • Check the risk of flooding in your area (Northern Ireland) https://nidirect.gov.uk/articles/check-the-risk-offlooding-in-your-area • Development and Flood Risk Practice Guide https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government /uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/777 2/pps25guideupdate.pdf • Managing flood risk: roles and responsibilities https://local.gov.uk/topics/severeweather/flooding/local-flood-riskmanagement/managing-flood-risk-roles-and • Beach Nourishment https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-andplanetary-sciences/beach-nourishment Health and safety To avoid any accidents, make sure you stick to the following health and safety guidelines before getting started: • Find out if any of the materials, equipment or methods are hazardous using http://science.cleapss.org.uk/Resources/Student- Safety-Sheets/ to assess the risks. (Think about what could go wrong and how serious it might be.) • Decide what you need to do to reduce any risks (such as wearing personal protective equipment, knowing how to deal with emergencies and so on). • Make sure there is plenty of space to work. • Clear up slip or trip hazards promptly. • Make sure your teacher agrees with your plan and risk assessment. 19