Centre of Applied Research Technology

The need to integrate flood and drought disaster risk reduction strategies

Article

Most research on hydrological risks focuses either on flood risk or drought risk, whilst floods and droughts are two extremes of the same hydrological cycle. To better design disaster risk reduction (DRR) measures and strategies, it is important to consider interactions between these closely linked phenomena. We show examples of: (a) how flood or drought DRR measures can have (unintended) positive or negative impacts on risk of the opposite hazard; and (b) how flood or drought DRR measures can be negatively impacted by the opposite hazard. We focus on dikes and levees, dams, stormwater control and upstream measures, subsurface storage, migration, agricultural practices, and vulnerability and preparedness. We identify key challenges for moving towards a more holistic risk management approach.

Reference Ward, P. J., de Ruiter, M. C., Mard, J., Schröter, K., van Loon, A., Veldkamp, T., von Uexkull, N., Wanders, N., AghaKouchak, A., Arnbjerg-Nielsen, K., Capewell, L., Carmen Llasat, M., Day, R., Dewals, B., Di Baldassare, G., Huning, L. S., Kreibich, H., Mazzoleni, M., Savelli, E., ... Wens, M. (2020). The need to integrate flood and drought disaster risk reduction strategies. Water Security, 11, Article 100070. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasec.2020.100070
1 December 2020

Publication date

Dec 2020

Author(s)

Philip J. Ward
Marleen C. de Ruiter
Johanna Mard
Kai Schröter
Anne van Loon
Nina von Uexkull
Niko Wanders
Amir AghaKouchak
Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen
Lucinda Capewell
Maria Carmen Llasat
Rosie Day
Benjamin Dewals
Giuliano Di Baldassare
Laurie S. Huning
Heidi Kreibich
Maurizio Mazzoleni
Elisa Savelli
Claudia Teutschbein
Harmen van den Berg
Anne van der Heijden
Jelle M.R. Vincken
Maarten J. Waterloo
Marthe Wens

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