A global challenge
Integrated flood risk management aims to reduce the human and socio-economic losses caused by flooding while taking into account the social, economic and ecological benefits from floods and the use of flood plains or coastal zones. The need for the adoption of a holistic integrated approach to managing flood risks has been reflected in the Flood Directive of the European Parliament.
The course gives flood risk management the necessary trans-disciplinary approach and combines four outstanding European institutions to cope with an increasing challenge, both for engineers as for scientists
- Professor Christian Bernhofer, coordinator of FRM in TU Dresden -
The stretch of Brazil’s coastline that runs between Brazil’s largest cities, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, is getting increasingly hit by torrential rains and rising sea levels. In addition to the homes and beaches lost, many of the small businesses along the seafront have to rebuild every time a storm surge wipes them out. The city of São Paulo lost an estimated $193 million following recent flooding; the ripple effects caused the entire country to lose as much as $1.4 billion. (1)
In August of 2018, heavy monsoon rains flooded most of Kerala, India, with more than 400 deaths and upwards of a million displaced citizens. The Cochin International Airport - the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy - was completely flooded and had to close for two weeks, leading to a cost of US$27 million in lost revenue. (1)
In August of 2018, heavy monsoon rains flooded most of Kerala, India, with more than 400 deaths and upwards of a million displaced citizens. The Cochin International Airport - the first airport in the world to be fully powered by solar energy - was completely flooded and had to close for two weeks, leading to a cost of US$27 million in lost revenue. (1)
Make a difference
Flooding is a problem worldwide, and the challenge will become even larger in the future. There is a lack of professionals with the interdisciplinary skillset needed to tackle the environmental, social and economic aspects of the problem
Integrated, multidisciplinary programme
Existing masters programmes on floods offered in the European Union cover many technical aspects but lack integration. This programme follows the holistic approach and is explicitly designed to cover a wide range of topics - from drivers and natural processes to models, decisions and socio-economic consequences and institutional environment and is therefore an important advance in water education for Europe.
International experience
Learn from leading experts at four European universities:
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IHE Delft Institute for Water Education (the Netherlands)
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TU Dresden (Germany)
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Technical University of Catalonia (Spain)
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University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)