Flood damage functions for EU member states

Flood risk mapping using Corine land cover datasets

José I. Barredo, Ad De Roo

CIS Working Group F Thematic Workshop Floods and EconomicsAppraising, prioritising and financing flood risk management measures and instruments

Ghent, 25 - 26 October 2010

• Flood damage functions for EU member states → Database

• European-wide studies at continental level

• Impacts of climate change on flood losses

• Adaptation

Rationale

Hazard

Water depth scenarios

Exposure

Exposed assets

Vulnerability

Flood damage functions

Flood damage potential

Risk = Hazard * Exposure * Vulnerability

• Vulnerability (damage functions) is defined as the susceptibility of the exposed assets at contact with water

• This factor measures the extent to which the assets could be affected by the hazard

• Flood damage functions show the susceptibility of assets to certain inundation characteristics, in this study specifically against inundation depth

Flood damage functions

Hazard ExposureVulnerability

Flood water depth

e.g. 100-yr return period

Corine land cover

44 land cover classes

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Water depth

Eco

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dam

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Flood damage functions

Flood damage potential

[assuming no defences]

Assessing flood damage potential

Corine land cover

• Land cover map of Europe

• 44 land cover/use classes

• Smallest mapping unit: 25 ha

• Distributed at 100 and 250 m grid size by EEA

Forest and semi natural areas Broad-leaved forest

Coniferous forest

Mixed forest

Natural grasslands

Moors and heathland

Sclerophyllous vegetation

Transitional woodland-shrub

Beaches, dunes, sands

Bare rocks

Sparsely vegetated areas

Burnt areas

Glaciers and perpetual snow

Wetlands Inland marshes

Peat bogs

Salt marshes

Salines

Intertidal flatsWater bodies Water courses

Water bodies

Coastal lagoons

Estuaries

Sea and ocean

LABEL1 LABEL3

Artificial surfaces Continuous urban fabric

Discontinuous urban fabric

Industrial or commercial units

Road and rail networks and associated land

Port areas

Airports

Mineral extraction sites

Dump sites

Construction sites

Green urban areas

Sport and leisure facilities

Agricultural areas Non-irrigated arable land

Permanently irrigated land

Rice fields

Vineyards

Fruit trees and berry plantations

Olive groves

Pastures

Annual crops associated with permanent crops

Complex cultivation patterns

Land principally occupied by agriculture, with SANV

Agro-forestry areas

• JRC project (2007) - Implemented by HKV consultants (NL)

• The aim was to produce flood damage functions relating water depth and economic damage for the assessment of direct damage as consequence of floods

• Collection of harmonised flood damage functions for EU MS

Flood damage functions database for

EU member states

• Study based on available information in MS

• Damage functions adapted for all EU countries + N, CH, HR, MK and Turkey, and Corine land cover datasets

• Only damage potential by water depth (other factors, e.g. duration of the flood, flow velocity and sediment concentration of the water are not included, but they do influence damage as well)

• Functions measured in Euros

Flood damage functions database for

EU member states

Flood damage functions database

Literature reviewQuestionnaires

Flood damage data/functions

Collected country-specific data(functions; max. damage data)

Economic characteristics of countries (GDP, purchasing power)

Corine land cover classes [44]

- Countries with data (11)- Countries with no data

Harmonisation

Assignment of functions/max. damage to countries without known functions

Country specific functionsper Corine class

Flood damage functions database

HarmonisationCorine classes

LABEL3

Continuous urban fabric

Discontinuous urban fabric

Industrial or commercial units

%

Residential 50

Transport 18

Commercial 5

Construction 5

Unused 5

Other 17

Limitations

• The database should be seen as a first collection of averaged damage functions at national level

• The information is based “only” in 11 countries

• There are well known intra-country regional differences in damage functions

• The database has been implemented for Corine datasets

• Improvements are needed, e.g.

– Including other damage factors: duration of the flood, flow velocity, sediment concentration of the water

– Damage functions at intra-country regional level

Dissemination

• The database of flood damage functions could be useful for countries without known functions

• It should be noted that the database is a first step for more detailed and accurate data

• The JRC will handle specific request from countries interested in the database

• Feedback from users could improve the information included in the database

• The limitations of the database should be carefully considered for risk assessment

Thank you

http://floods.jrc.ec.europa.eu