Flood - a statement on research priorities for natural hazards emergency management in Australia

Throughout 2015-2017, emergency service agencies around Australia participated in workshops hosted by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC to consider the major issues in natural hazards emergency management.

This publication on floods summarises the outcomes of one of these workshops and poses questions as a guide for a national research agenda in natural hazard emergency management.

Flood causes significant life, agricultural and economic loss in Australia and is the most financially costly natural hazard in Australia. The topological and geographic nature of the Australian landscape means Australians experience a wide variety of flood and inundation including flash flooding, sudden and long-onset riverine floods, coastal inundation and seasonal flooding in Northern Australia. In all cases floods can result in hazardous conditions that create a risk where interaction with the community takes place.

Australian Emergency Management Handbook 7 - Managing the floodplain: A guide to best practice in flood risk management in Australia (now part of the AIDR Handbook Collection) outlines the importance of preventing, preparing for, responding to and recovering from floods. However, the management of flood risks can be significantly improved.