In 1997 disastrous flooding running through the Czech Republic, Poland,
Germany took the lives of a great number of people and caused economic
damage estimated in tens of billions of dollars. Flooding of the Yangtze
river in 1998 killed more than 3000 people, dislocated 230 million
souls, and caused direct damage of more than $ 45 billion. Both the
general public and the experts are asking what we can learn from these
recent events to reduce loss of life and flood damage.
The 1997 floods were dealt with by experts from the Czech Republic,
Poland and Germany, who presented timely reports on combatting floods,
both success stories and shortcomings. This experience is further
extended by reports from experts drawn from 13 other countries,
developing a broad overview of flood risk management, covering the
ecosystem approach to flood management, including socioeconomic issues,
flood impacts on water quality, human health, and natural ecosystems.