Advances in Flood Risk Management 2025
Newsletter 2, 2025 from the IAHR Technical Committee on Flood Risk Management
Introducing the Newly Elected Flood Risk Management Committee
In this issue of our newsletter Advances in Flood Risk Management, we are pleased to introduce the newly elected members of our Flood Risk Management Committee. The new members will introduce themselves by answering a few short questions. Through their insights, experiences, and motivations, you’ll get to know the people working behind the scenes to strengthen our community’s resilience against floods.
Interview to Stefan Haun, Chair and Head of Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, Graz University of Technology, Austria
What motivated you to join the flood risk management committee? My motivation to join the FRM-TC stems from a desire to contribute to meaningful change in how we
approach flood-related challenges. In many parts of the world, we still focus on controlling floods
rather than managing the associated risks. Through the committee’s work, I hope to help shape
solutions that not only enhance existing flood protection measures but also build long-term resilience
at both local and regional scales.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in managing flood risk in the future? Looking ahead, I see three main challenges in managing flood risk effectively. The first is the changing climate, which is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, pushing existing protection systems to their limits. The second is population growth and urbanization, leading to higher exposure and more complex risk profiles in flood-prone areas. The third is the growing importance of ecological considerations, as we strive to balance technical flood protection with environmental sustainability and river restoration.
What’s one key topic you’d like the committee to focus on this year? This year, I would like the committee to focus on identifying and understanding the underlying reasons why integrated flood protection measures are often not fully implemented. Gaining a clearer understanding of these shortcomings will help strengthen accountability, enhance planning processes, and ensure that our flood risk management efforts are both effective and sustainable.
How does your work relate to flood risk management? As a university professor, my work is closely connected to flood risk management through both research and education. I am actively involved in several professional associations that address flood-related issues, which allows me to contribute to advancing knowledge and practice in the field. Equally important, at our university we teach students about flood risk management, helping to prepare the next generation of engineers and decision-makers to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for future challenges.
In your opinion, what’s the most underestimated aspect of flood risk management? In my opinion, one of the most underestimated aspects of flood risk management is the adaptation of existing protection systems. Too often, the focus is set on building new infrastructure, while other important factors, such as coordinated emergency response, public awareness, and risk communication, are overlooked. Effective flood risk management requires not only technical solutions but also sustained commitment, education, and adaptive management over time.
Interview to Cesar Adolfo Alvarado Ancieta, Vice Chair and Head of River Diversion Water Transfer University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC), Lima, Peru
What motivated you to join the flood risk management committee? To promote a high qualified technical/cultural interchange with worldwide members, and to expand
IAHR membership to engineers working as private consultants besides of the academy sector. To
impulse between members specific integrated flood risk management webinars into a panel and open
questionnaires, giving chances to members to present their outputs “. Elaboration of a monograph on
‘‘complex integrated flood risk management systems and socialization” What do you see as the biggest challenge in managing flood risk in the future? The limitations of existing infrastructure and social systems, especially in developing countries, combined with authorities without capability for leading it and political issues influencing on flood protection counter measures, together with increased urbanization, and climate change impact.
What’s one key topic you’d like the committee to focus on this year? Assessing flood risk worldwide by means of an online survey, with very specific questions with suitable answer choices, which should be us to prepare a particular map using IAHR platform.
What’s your professional background or area of expertise? Planning and elaboration of integrated coastal and river basin flood control master plans. River engineering, multipurpose flood control systems, storm urban drainage, sponge city. Flood protection structural and non-structural measures, NbS. Hydropower and dams, complex water transfer projects.
How does your work relate to flood risk management?
Expertise and team leading on complex flood risk management international projects
What’s one experience that shaped your view on flood risk? The master plan flood protection of Piura, Peru, and flood management in Thailand: Alumni award winner César Alvarado Ancieta: global impact in hydraulic engineering
In your opinion, what’s the most underestimated aspect of flood risk management? They are direct/indirect economic damages and human/social factors, incl. risk perception and governance. Damages can significantly exceed direct losses and are often overlooked. Additionally, a lack of community buy-in due to factors like trust in authorities. Past experiences can hinder the effectiveness of preparedness/solutions. Fragmented governance leads to inconsistent action.
What are your main goals as a member of this committee? Our flood risk management webinars launched beginning year 2025 promoting specialist worldwide.
How do you see the committee making a difference? Promoting young and senior specialist worldwide.
Interview to Daniela Molinari, Past Chair and Professor at Department of Civil and Environmental, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
What motivated you to join the flood risk management committee? Being part of the Committee provides an opportunity to share research experiences with scholars and
practitioners from around the world, thereby strengthening confidence in our results and informing
future research directions. At the same time, it offers a valuable chance to translate research into
practice by contributing to the development of policies and best practices. In particular, I am
committed to promoting the worldwide implementation of the Integrated Flood Risk Management
approach.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in managing flood risk in the future? The high-impact floods that recently affected the globe, caused by exceptionally intense meteorological phenomena, reveal the necessity for a change in the conventional approach to flood risk management. This need is further amplified by the evolving nature of meteorological triggers, complicating the design of new infrastructure and the adaptation of existing ones to withstand future events, whose intensity remains increasingly unpredictable. I think it is necessary to shift from an approach primarily focused on controlling natural phenomena (i.e., hazard reduction) to one that emphasizes the adaptation of exposed territories and communities, to foster coexistence between human activities and flood events while enhancing community resilience.
What’s one key topic you’d like the committee to focus on this year? I believe it is important to explore how comprehensive flood risk assessment can support the identification of effective flood risk mitigation measures — that is, measures designed on a risk-based approach. Examples include impact-based flood early warning systems and decision support systems grounded in cost–benefit or multi-criteria analysis.
In your opinion, what’s the most underestimated aspect of flood risk management? The estimation of flood risk in all its dimensions requires an interdisciplinary effort to understand how vulnerability contributes to overall risk. However, for many years, flood risk management has been the domain of hydrologists and hydraulic engineers, with a predominant focus on the hazard component of risk. Although significant progress has been made over the past two decades, I believe that vulnerability and damage assessment—particularly when long-term and intangible impacts are considered—remain understudied topics.
How does your work relate to flood risk management? As a Professor of Hydraulics at Politecnico di Milano, with specific expertise in flood risk assessment and management, I am engaged in applied research projects in collaboration with key decision-makers and risk managers. The MOVIDA project is a notable example: together with several Italian universities, we developed a methodology to assess flood damage within the framework of the European Floods Directive for Italy’s largest river basin — the Po River District.
Interview to Mark Cheetham, SNCF RESEAU, Senior engineer at SNCF Réseau, Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Civil Engineers, UK
What motivated you to join the flood risk management committee? With over 20 years’ experience in the field of flood risk management, I believe it is important to
develop new and innovative techniques which can be used in a practical setting. I hope my practical
“end-user” experience of using different FRM techniques can be used to guide different research areas
which will have concrete applications for the SNCF and other Infrastructure Managers. On a personal
level, it is also an opportunity to create a network with experts in different institutions worldwide. What do you see as the biggest challenge in managing flood risk in the future? Climate change is certainly a significant challenge for an Infrastructure Manager such as the SNCF where it is both important to understand at a technical level how different scenarios have been modelled, allowing potential medium and long term impacts on infrastructure to be evaluated, but also to integrate uncertainty in decision making which is crucial to ensure long term infrastructure resilience.
What’s one key topic you’d like the committee to focus on this year? How climate change predictions can be interpreted and applied by Infrastructure Managers and in particular how uncertainty can be better understood and integrated into decision making.
How does your work relate to flood risk management? My work at the Engineering department aims to better understand flood risk over the entire 30000km railway network in France using different modelling approaches (GIS, 1D-2D numerical modelling, digital twins, …). I am currently working on different innovative projects which aim to better predict flood events with a view to improving train security and making the railway network more resilient.
What’s one experience that shaped your view on flood risk? Newsletter 2-2025 of the IAHR TC on FRM 6 Following a flood risk evaluation on a 100km section of railway line, a certain number of earthwork and hydraulic structures were assessed as vulnerable. An important rainfall event occurred several years later which resulted in significant incidents at the locations identified in the diagnostic proving to me the importance of undertaking flood risk assessment and indeed that the tools available are efficient in accurately predicting such events.
Interview to Tomasz Dysarz, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Department of Hydraulic and Sanitary Engineering
What motivated you to join the flood risk management committee? Since my studies, I’ve been keen on applications of numerical modeling in hydrology and
hydromechanics. The field of flood risk management provided me with an excellent opportunity to
utilize my skills. Later, I realized how important this interdisciplinary discipline is. I’m sure the
committee is the ideal platform for sharing such experience with other professionals.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in managing flood risk in the future? Effective education. The advancement of methods in flood risk management is truly impressive today. But a basic understanding of the term “flood hazard map” in society is rare. It is evident in discussions with people and experts from other disciplines following each major flood.
What’s one key topic you’d like the committee to focus on this year? In my opinion, it would be beneficial for the committee to focus on the differences in flood assessment methods between developed and developing countries. Current access to technologies like satellite measurements, remote sensing, and image recognition may help to decrease differences.
How does your work relate to flood risk management? I work at the Poznan University of Life Sciences, focusing on research and education related to flood hazard assessment. My activities extend beyond classes and lectures. I’ve participated in the previous stages of the EU Flood Directive implementation in Poland. Now I can share this experience, sharing my knowledge with companies working on the current stage of flood hazard and risk development.
What’s one experience that shaped your view on flood risk? Supposedly, there is not only one experience of this type in my life, but there is one that changed my perception. In 2001, the flood of the century hit the city of Gdansk, where I was living and making my Ph.D. Fortunately, the event, in terms of fatalities and other losses, was not so extremely disastrous. However, in my life, it was a truly unique experience that significantly impacted my understanding of flood phenomena.
Interview to Dhruvesh Patel, Professor, Department of Civil Engineering, School of Technology, Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) - Formerly PDPU, Gujarat, India
What motivated you to join the flood risk management committee? My motivation to join the Flood Risk Management Committee is to contribute my expertise in UAV
technology, hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling, and disaster resilience planning. I aim to foster
collaboration and networking among students and researchers from both developed and developing
countries. I strongly believe that such collective efforts are vital to developing effective strategies for
mitigating flood impacts and protecting vulnerable communities at local and regional scales.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in managing flood risk in the future? The biggest challenge in managing flood risk in the future will be addressing the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events driven by climate change. Rapid urbanization, inadequate drainage systems, and poor land-use planning further exacerbate the problem. Integrating advanced technologies like AI, remote sensing, Hydrodynamic modeling, and real-time data into decision-making will be crucial. Additionally, building public awareness and community resilience will remain essential for sustainable flood risk management.
What’s one key topic you’d like the committee to focus on this year? One key topic I’d like the committee to focus on this year is addressing data scarcity challenges for effective flood modeling in developing and underdeveloped countries. The committee can promote efficient open-source techniques for model development and flood risk assessment. Organizing webinars and training sessions would help build capacity and enhance knowledge sharing among global researchers, students, and practitioners.
What’s your professional background or area of expertise? My professional background lies in Civil and Water Resources Engineering, with over 15 years of academic and research experience. My expertise includes flood risk management, hydrologic and hydrodynamic modeling, UAV-based data acquisition, and the application of Remote Sensing, GIS, AI, and Machine Learning in water resources. I currently serve as Professor of Civil Engineering at PDEU and lead the innovative and IIC-PDEU affiliated startup Flood Lab (Digital Flood Library and Safety Tool). My work focuses on developing innovative, data-driven solutions for sustainable flood resilience and disaster management.
What are your main goals as a member of this committee? Newsletter 2-2025 of the IAHR TC on FRM 8 My main goals as a member of this committee are to promote collaboration between researchers globally, advance the use of innovative technologies in flood risk assessment, and support the development of practical strategies to enhance community resilience and disaster preparedness.
Interview to Qian Yu, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research
What motivated you to join the flood risk management committee?My motivations include three parts:
Promote regional collaboration for knowledge-sharing in integrated flood risk management, particularly by sharing successful cases and lessons learned from China.
As APD YPN representative, enhance YPs' participation in flood risk management activities by leveraging my experience in IAHR YPN to organize mentorship programs and networking opportunities for early-career researchers from underrepresented regions.
Facilitate collaboration between researchers and engineers by initiating joint workshops, and practical case studies that translate research into actionable flood risk management solutions.
What do you see as the biggest challenge in managing flood risk in the future? Under the dual pressures of climate change, which not only intensifies extreme precipitation events but also drives sea-level rise, and the rapid urbanization still observed in specific regions worldwide, the biggest challenge for future flood risk management lies in enhancing regional flood resilience in a targeted manner.
What’s one key topic you’d like the committee to focus on this year? Improving resilience against water hazards and disasters, which is also one of thematic priority areas of IAHR.
What’s your professional background or area of expertise? My expertise is flood risk management and impact assessment, combining theoretical research with practical applications.
How does your work relate to flood risk management? I am working at the Research Center on Flood & Drought Disaster Reduction of the Ministry of Water Resources and IWHR. My daily responsibilities involve conducting theoretical research on flood risk, developing and applying flood risk analysis, and providing technical support for national policymaking related to flood risk management. To date, I have led or contributed to over 40 projects focused on various aspects of flood risk management
Upcoming Conferences, Events, and Workshops
Session on “Flood Risk Management” during the 6th IAHR Online Young Professionals Congress | 3 - December 2025
The IAHR Tecnhical Committee on Flood Risk Management will also support the 6th IAHR Young Professionals Congress, which will
take place online on 3-5 December 2025. The IAHR Young Professionals Congress is an online, free-of-charge
Congress, a wonderful opportunity for early-career scientists from all over the world to present their work
and get mentoring from leading experts. More information can be found here: 6th IAHR Young Professionals Congress
2nd IAHR Flood Risk Management Webinar: Wading into Floods from Dam and Dike Failures | 28 October 2025
The second webinar of the IAHR Technical Committee on Flood Risk Management will focus on the critical
topic of dam and levee failures and the resulting floods. Participants will explore the challenges posed by
such failures and the urgent need for advanced tools for numerical simulation. The session will highlight
innovative modeling approaches that help predict dike failure and resulting flood dynamics, assess risks,
and support effective flood risk management. This webinar will be held via ZOOM Webinar, please register
for the Zoom Webinar via this link: Zoom Webinar or via our webpage. More than 830 registrations received! You can still register to attend
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