Why are planners allowing homes to be erected in the floodplain? Is the UK government doing enough to protect people from flooding? An investigative BBC Radio 4 programme looks at key flood events from 2012 and interviews three  flood management experts from the Environment Agency.

Image from BBC website

Quantification of the impacts of future floods on the economy in the transnational Meuse basin.

A goal within the AMICE project is the "Quantification of the impacts of future floods on the economy in the transnational Meuse basin“. In the summaries and reports, the method for flood risk calculation is developed and outlined. The results are presented both at international and regional level.

see attached for reports: http://www.amice-project.eu/en/news.php?refactu=95

The European Commission recently released its Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water Resources, outlining proposals to ensure better implementation of the EU’s water policy objectives. Several initiatives recognise the benefits of river restoration to improve the ecological status of Europe’s waters.

The Blueprint includes proposals on natural water retention, ecological flows and water accounts, and encourages restoration measures in the River Basin Management Plans and Flood Risk Management Plans submitted by Member States.

View the Blueprint submission by RESTORE and partners: http://www.restorerivers.eu/Publications/tabid/2624/mod/11083/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3297/Default.aspx

View the Blueprint: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/water/blueprint/index_en.htm

Radio 4’s ‘You & Yours’ programme visited the Flood Test Centre in Wallingford, Oxfordshire to discover more about the innovative products involved in flood protection. Listen to the show on Friday 12.20pm: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qps9

The Royal Society of Arts, in conjunction with the Environment Agency, are asking students to design or update a method of tackling water pollution. The aim is to reduce the impact of man-made structures, restore natural features to water environments, and to reduce the impact of water pollution. 

Two awards are available for this brief, including a paid internship at the Environment Agency or an RSA Fellows Award of £1250. 

Submission requirements for the competition can be found on the RSA's website 

Download this brief (PDF)