Geodesign to Support Multi-level Safety Policy for Flood Management

Abstract

Sound flood management strategies are of utmost importance in low-lying areas like The Netherlands. Flood perceptions have changed over time, from flood protection and economically-oriented strategies, to more environmentally focused strategies such as the ‘Room for River’ program. Recently, a multi-level safety policy for flood management has gained more attention, which aims to take both preventive and effect-restrictive measurements. Preventive measures (level 1) are for example dike strengthening. Effect-restrictive measurements concern spatial planning (level 2), for example by compartmenting polders, and crisis management (level 3). The waterboard of the province of Noord-Holland (The Netherlands) intends to implement the Eagle Crisis Management System (CMS). This system uses a net-centric approach, which facilitates to share actual geographical and textual data that is part of the Common Operational Picture among the different organizations that are involved during a flood crisis. The Eagle system will be integrated with the 3Di flood simulation model. This allows to calculated flood areas and inundation depths during a flood, which can be directly visualized and shared in Eagle CMS, and used for example to define or adapt evacuation routes.

Developing a multi-level water safety policy can be greatly supported by using the geodesign framework. Multiple steps are dealt with iteratively, including data collection, setting options and boundary conditions, defining different scenarios and estimating impacts of those scenarios. Furthermore, the geodesign framework facilitates collaboration between stakeholders which are involved in all phases of the design process. Finally, a well-considered and supported decision regarding the water system can be made.