Following  flooding across much of Europe in June the idea of integrating rivers back into their natural floodplains is being more widely discussed. An article in Spiegel Online looks at the effects of fthe flooding in Germany and asks whether governments are looking more seriously at river restoration.

Photo: Spiegel Online

 The LIFE+ RII project (LIFE11 ENV/IT/000243 “Riqualificazione integrata idraulico-ambientale dei RII appartenenti alla fascia pedemontana dell’Emilia Romagna”) has start its activities.

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