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L. Löschner, A. Schindelegger:
"Compensation for Flood Storage";
Report for International Water Resources Association; Report No. Policy Brief Number 3, 2019; 4 pages.

Flood retention plays an increasingly prominent role in the portfolio of flood risk management strategies. For example, the EU Floods Directive (2007/60/EC) mandates that flood risk management shall promote the "improvement of water retention as well as the controlled flooding of certain areas in the case of a flood event" (Art. 7). Reconnecting floodplains for natural flood retention is an important measure to improve the ecological status of rivers. But their effect in extreme flood events is limited because natural floodplains often fill up before the flood peak occurs. By comparison, technically controlled flood storage more effectively influences flood waves because the retention area is optimally filled to cap the flood peak. In order to maximise the retention benefits, flood storages need to be located as close as possible to the areas that are to be protected.

flood retention, flood risk management, natural hazard management, compensation

https://publik.tuwien.ac.at/files/publik_278686.pdf