Flood risk reduction

Italy is particularly vulnerable to water-related disasters (flooding, landslides, drought) and to other related impacts, such as soil and coast erosion, which affect land and human activities. Traditional strategies to face water-related hazards were based on structural measures, aiming at land reclamation by drainage networks, at soil conservation by agricultural and forestry practices and at flooding defense by hydraulic works such as structures against overflow and inundation (river banks, diversions) or for flood routing. The land transformation due to the growth of urbanized areas and infrastructures and the likely effect of climate change have increased the flood risk, while the structural measures began to be considered insufficient and costly and to be criticized for environmental reasons. Thus, non-structural measures such as constraints on land use, early warning systems and better information to increase public awareness and behavioral responses to floods have been emphasized. In this chapter, basic concepts of flooding risk and measures for its reduction are discussed. The most severe flooding disasters which occurred after the unification of the country (1861) and the development of policy about the flood risk reduction are analyzed. Then, a synthesis of flood hazard and risk assessments in Italian regions is presented. Finally, an attempt is made to identify priorities and trends to improve flood disaster resilience.