Researchers develop faster means of flood risk assessment

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have discovered a much faster method of assessing water bodies for flood risk in time to comply with new European legislation.

Until the publication of this research there was no single agreed method of flood risk assessment. What techniques did exist were costly and time consuming.

However, flood risk assessment can now be completed in a matter of hours rather than weeks.

Dr. Miklas Scholz, head of the research team said: “Previously, you had to conduct ecological impact surveys, meteorological surveys, and hydrological surveys as a means to assess flood risk. Our technique consists of estimating 40 sum variables, assigning certainty values, and using statistical modelling techniques to determine flood risk.”

The European Flood Directive insists that all European states submit flood risk assessments for their water bodies by 2012.

This research began in 2006 as a sustainability survey for a basin in Germany. It is now the first standard method of flood risk assessment.

The team is also one of 22 groups currently developing the standard flood risk management guidelines for Europe as a whole.

Scotland has 350 bodies of water that could be used for flood management. However, Dr. Scholz and his assistant William McMinn found that they represent “vast unused potential”.

The main problem comes from Scottish Water’s management of Scotland’s reservoirs. Dr Scholz continued: “They are filled to the brim. Instead, they could be half-full and collect water from the hills [to mitigate flood risk] and release it when there is less risk downstream.”

Dr Scholz also believes that Scottish Water, a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation, has been singularly uncooperative despite their great ability to help: “it’s a bit of a scandal, really” he said.