5th International conference on flood management (ICFM5)

The International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM) is the only recurring international conference wholly focused on flood related issues. It is designed to bring together practitioners and researchers alike, including engineers, planners, health specialists, disaster managers, decision makers, and policy makers engaged in various aspects of floodplain management. It provides a unique opportunity for these various specialists to come together to exchange ideas and experiences.

The 5th International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM5) marks the continued advancement of flood management practices and policies around the world. The name change from "Defence” as used in the previous four events to "Management" is reflective of the more integrative approaches to flood management that nations are increasingly employing. The first International Symposium on Flood Defence, held in Kassel, Germany in 2000, emphasized flood defence measures with each successive event (Beijing 2002, Nijmegen 2005 and Toronto 2008) evolving towards more integrative approaches, including risk, vulnerability and capacity building.

ICFM5 will be organised by the International Centre for Water Hazard and Risk Management (ICHARM) under the auspices of UNESCO and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) of Japan.

The ICFM5 theme is "Floods: From Risk to Opportunity", reflective of the continued trend towards a broader understanding of how we collectively make use of the opportunities provided by floods and flooding, cope with risks posed by them and plan for and respond to flood events.

Expected agenda

ICFM5 will consist of 5 plenary sessions, 20 parallel sessions for oral presentations, 4 poster sessions, special events and technical and cultural tours. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in various sessions such as the following

- Flood risk management policy and strategic planning
- Environmental consideration and climate change impact
- Flood management in context of IWRM
- Infrastructure, investment and maximization of flood benefits
- Land use control measures
- Individual and community based flood insurance
- Assessment and indicators of risk, vulnerability and resiliency
- Observation and monitoring of precipitation and discharge
- Flood forecasting, early warning systems and flood inundation mapping
- Flood hazard mapping, risk communication and damage assessment
- Structural and non-structural flood management measures
- Flood disaster preparedness standards and actions
- Emergency management and recovery
- Social capital and community defence
- Role of training and information networking
- International cooperation and assistance
- Reports on recent floods (including torrential downpours and GLOFs)

Key themes and plenary Sessions

Many international efforts are focusing on assisting nations and regions in dealing with challenges of water related disasters. ICFM5, among other objectives, will provide a follow up on the actions identified by UNSGAB/HLEP (UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board/High-Level Expert Panel) in the “Water and Disaster” Action Plan.

The event will focus on the following five key themes, derived from the UNSGAB/HLEP Action Plan "Water and Disaster":

1- Flood forecasting and early warning systems
2- Impact of climate change on flood risk
3- Flood resilient societies through community preparedness
4- Flood risk management in mega-deltas
5- Torrential downpours, landslides and erosion

Topic area and themes

ICFM5 will consist of plenary sessions, parallel sessions for oral presentations, poster sessions, special events and technical and cultural tours. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in various sessions such as those listed above and the following:

- Flood risk management policy and strategic planning
- Environmental consideration and climate change impact
- Flood management in context of Integrated Water Resources Management
- Infrastructure, investment and maximization of flood benefits
- Land use control measures
- Individual and community based flood insurance
- Assessment and indicators of risk, vulnerability and resiliency
- Observation and monitoring of precipitation and discharge
- Flood forecasting, early warning systems and flood inundation mapping
- Flood hazard mapping, risk communication and damage assessment
- Structural and non-structural flood management measures
- Flood disaster preparedness standards and actions
- Emergency management and recovery
- Social capital and community defense
- Role of training and information networking
- International cooperation and assistance
- Reports on recent floods(including torrential downpours and GLOFs)