European Floods Directive and Implementation

The significant increase in the incidence of flood events across Europe and the associated impacts led to the adoption by the European Parliament of the Floods Directive ("The Assessment and Management of Flood Risk") in October 2007. The Directive sets out a holistic, catchment based approach to manage flood risk in a sustainable way based on the impact all sources of flooding have on human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity. The ongoing implementation of the Directive in Northern Ireland, by Rivers Agency (DARD) as the competent authority, has resulted in a significant improvement in the body of flood information now available. Accordingly, our understanding and ability to predict flood risk is continually improving.