Courses
Integration of all aspects of flood risk is the cornerstone of the FLOODRisk master. The first semester (in Germany) offers a basic grounding to all students. This is followed by a semester at IHE Delft introducing the hydroinformatics and modelling components and a semester in Spain and Slovenia following more specialised modules. The final semester is given over to a research thesis.
Semester 1: TU Dresden, Germany
Year 1 September - February
Name of course (ECTS)
1 Fieldtrip
2 GIS and statistics (preparatory course)
3 Flood Risk Management I (5)
4 Flood Risk Management II (5)
5 Meteorology and Hydrology (5)
6 Geodesy (5)
7 Ecology (E) / Hydraulic Engineering (NE) (5)
8 Hydrochemistry (E) / Hydromechanics (NE) (5)
Total ECTS 30
Note: Students take different courses depending on whether they have an engineering (E) or non-engineering (NE) background.
Semester 2: IHE Delft
The Netherlands
Year 1 March - July
Name of course (ECTS)
1 Data-driven modelling and real-time control (5)
4 International fieldtrip to Florida Everglades (5)
5 Flood Risk Management III (5)
6 Decision Support Systems in the Water Domain (5)
Total ECTS 30
Note:In Semester 2 courses are given in 3-week modules, with an examination week after each second module.
Semester 3a: Technical University of Catalonia, Spain
Year 2 September - November
Name of course (ECTS)
1 Implication of Global warming on Floods and Droughts (3)
2 Coastal flooding: impacts, conflicts and risks (3)
3 Debris Flow and Flash Flood: Risk, Hazard, Vulnerability and Resilience concepts (5)
4 Radar rainfall forecast, early warning systems (4)
5 Fluvial morphodynamics (5)
Total ECTS 20
Semester 3b: University of Ljubljana
Slovenia
Year 2 December - February
Name of course (ECTS)
1 Spatial planning for flood risk management (5)
2 Socio-economic and institutional framework for flood risk management (5)
Total ECTS 10
Semester 4: Thesis project
(example topics given from 2015)
Year 2 March - August
Name of course (ECTS)
1 Designing a flood-resilient city to deal with extreme rainfall (IHE Delft and Municipality of Dordrecht)
2 ANN Models in the Predictive Control of Reservoir Systems (IHE Delft and Deltares)
3 Analyses of trends and changing patterns of global precipitation based on chosen public domain data sets
(TU Dresden)
4 Flood risk assessment and modelling uncertainty relations using data-driven models
(TU of Catalonia and TNC Colombia)
5 Flood impacts on property values and proposal of measures to enhance flood safety
(University of Ljubljana)
6 From vision to reality: making cities flood resilient by implementing green infrastructure strategies (the case of the City of Hoboken, New Jersey)
(IHE Delft and Royal Haskoning DHV)
Total ECTS 30
Note: Students undertake a research project in association with one of the four universities and possibly external partners
Learning objectives
The learning objectives (acquisition of knowledge) for the students include:
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a broad and cross-boundary scientific knowledge on flood risk management;
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a comprehensive knowledge base and understanding of the current theory and practice relating to flooding and flood management;
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the fundamental knowledge leading to the understanding of socio-economic issue related to flooding;
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a broad scientific knowledge about conservation, restoration and management measures to overcome challenges imposed on water by humans and by climate change, and;
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an extended knowledge on a basin-wide approach to flood risk management.
The acquired competencies (application of knowledge) include the ability to:
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analyse the reciprocal relationships between the physical system, the institutional framework and the socio-economic environment, identifying future social and climatic pressures and needs and the consequent trends in system management;
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apply specific practical skills, such as identifying the major physical processes in a given river basin or coastal zone and their interaction with the associated assets and receptors;
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identify the links between all issues related to flooding in order to apply an integrated approach using the best tools to support decision making for the sustainable management of floods;
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review scientific literature and carry out independent research (such as writing a state of the art paper based on research and practice literature);
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apply sophisticated hydroinformatics and modelling tools and best practices to address the problems of flood risk management;
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occupy an independent and responsible position as a flood risk professional;
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communicate his/her knowledge and research results to the scientific and non-scientific communities (such as presenting papers/posters to scientific congresses, general lectures to policy makers and interested non-specialists);
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acquire independently further knowledge and techniques, and
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operate in a team.
Programme Handbook
Please find the Programme Handbook here.