Flood prevention schemes: guidance for local authorities

REFERENCES

Annotated key references

Flood risk

1. Meadowcroft, I C, Hall, J W and Ramsbottom, D M: Application of Risk Methods in Flood and Coastal Defence - Scoping Study, HR Wallingford Report SR483 for MAFF, 1997.

The report identified more than 300 references relating to risk and uncertainty in flood defence and related fields. It emphasised the links between different levels of the flood and coastal defence system, discussed benefits and barriers of risk-based methods, and proposed a programme of R & D to encourage improved decision-making taking better account of risk and uncertainty.

2. US Army Corps of Engineers: Risk Based Analysis for Flood Damage Reduction Studies, EM 1110-201619, 1996.

The report contains procedures for estimation of expected benefits of proposed flood damage reduction plans using risk and uncertainty analysis.

3. TAW (Technical Advisory Committee on Water Defences): Safety of Flood Defences - A New Perspective from the TAW Marsroute Research Programme.

Brochure published by the Department for Transport, Public Works and Water Management, Directorate-General of Public Works and Water Management, Road and Hydraulic Engineering Division, Delft, Netherlands, 1997.

This research programme is intended to develop a comprehensive methodology for appraisal of flood defences based on the probability and impact of flooding rather than the probability of extreme water levels as at present. The research has included extensive investigation of the use of probabilistic reliability analysis to estimate the probability of failure of individual dyke sections, and the connection between failure of various sections that make up a complete dyke ring.

Business process/project risk

4. Godfrey, P S: Control of Risk - A Guide to the Systematic Management of Risk from Construction, Construction Industry Research and Information Association ( CIRIA) Special Publication 125, CIRIA, 1996.

This is a guide for the systematic management of risk from construction.

5. Simon, P S, Hillson, D and Newland, K (eds): Project Risk Analysis and Management ( PRAM) Guide, The Association for Project Management, Norwich, 1997.

This report, published by the Association for Project Management, is 'a formalisation of the common sense which project managers normally apply to their projects'. It describes a systematic and disciplined approach to controlling risks to help improve the success of projects.

6. Institution of Civil Engineers and the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries: Risk Analysis and Management of Projects ( RAMP), Thomas Telford, 1998.

This report, published by the ICE, covers similar ground, but with more emphasis on the financial return of projects.

7. Carter, B, Hancock, T, Morin, J-M and Robins, N: Introducing RISKMAN Methodology, the European Project Risk Management Method, Blackwell, Cambridge, 1995.

This report is more comprehensive and covers a very wide range of tools and techniques likely to be of most interest for particularly large or complex projects.

8. Environment Agency: Risk Assessment and Management - Guidance for Assessment and Management of Risks in Project Management for Engineering Works - Risk 2, Environment Agency Engineering Project Management Group, 1997.

This Environment Agency guide is used on all Agency projects as part of the project management system. It is based on CIRIA125, using risk registers and analysis and management of generic, specific and residual risks. It is designed to be practical and applied at an appropriate level of detail.

9. Simm, J D and Cruikshank, I (eds): Construction Risk in Coastal Engineering, Thomas Telford, 1998.

This is a comprehensive review of risk analysis methods, sources of risk, and risk mitigation measures specifically aimed at coastal construction projects. It includes physical hazards such as storms, and process risks such as supply of materials.

Environmental and health risk assessment

10. Department of the Environment: A guide to Risk Assessment and Risk Management for Environmental Protection, HMSO, 1995.

The guidelines aim to highlight basic concepts and point to more detailed information and other resources where relevant, rather than providing detailed prescriptive guidance.

11. Parliamentary Office for Science and Technology: Safety in Numbers? Risk Assessment in Environmental Protection, 1996.

This report, published by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology in 1996, identified many of the key issues in dealing with risks. The report recognised the need for a consistent framework across risks of very different natures such as flooding, physical, chemical and radiological risks, and stressed the importance of taking account of both the natural and social scientific dimensions of risk.

12. ILGRA: Use of Risk Assessment within Government Departments, Report prepared by the Interdepartmental Liaison Group on Risk Assessment, Health and Safety Executive, London, 1996.

This report reviewed and compared the use of risk assessment, and found that the use of risk underpins many of the functions undertaken by government. But the use of risk assessment has not been developed systematically within government. The report concluded with suggested areas where greater coherence and consistency are desirable, including a common methodology and terminology, links between risk assessment and benefit-cost analysis, risk ranking and risk communication.

General references

13. Hambley, E C: Risk Evaluation and Realism, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, Civil Engineering, 102, 64-71, May 1994.

14. Vrijling, J K, Van Hengel, W and Houben, R J: Acceptable Risk - A Normative Evaluation, Proceedings of Stochastic Hydraulics, Tickle, Goulter, Xu, Wasimi and Bouchart (eds), Rotterdam, Balkema, 1996.

15. Health and Safety Executive: Risk Criteria for Land Use Planning in the Vicinity of Major Industrial Hazards, London, HMSO, 1989.

16. Royal Society: Risk: Analysis, Perception and Management, Royal Society, London, 1992.

17. Lindley, D V: Making Decisions, Wiley, London, 1971.

18. Raiffa, H: Decision Analysis: Introductory Lectures on Choices Under Uncertainty, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass, 1968.

19. French, S: Decision Theory: An Introduction to the Mathematics of Rationality, Ellis Horwood, Chichester, 1988.

20. Keeney, R and Keeney, R: Decisions with Multiple Objectives: Preferences and Value Tradeoffs, Wiley, New York, 1976.

21. Chapman, C and Ward, S: Project Risk Management: Process, Technique and Insights, John Wiley and Sons, 1997.

22. Owen M, Hawkes P, Tawn J and Bortot P : The Joint Probability of Waves and Water Levels: A Rigorous but Practical New Approach, Proceedings of the 32nd MAFF Conference of River and Coastal Engineers, Keele, July 1997.

23. CUR/ TAW: Probabilistic Design of Flood Defences, Centre for Civil Engineering Research and Codes/Technical Advisory Committee on Water Defences, Report 141, June, 1990.

24. MAFF: Flood and Coastal Defence Project Appraisal Guidance, Approaches to Risk - FCDPAG4, a Procedural Guide for Operating Authorities, 2000.

25. Scottish Executive: Climate Change: Review of Levels of Protection Offered by Flood Prevention Schemes; UKCIP02 Update (2003), Babtie Group, 2003.