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Anne Schulte-Wülwer-Leidig
International Commission for theProtection of the Rhine (ICPR)
Deputy Secretary
International Commission
for the Protection of the Rhine
Rhine BasinFlood Action Plan
Topics
(1) Rhine: Characteristics
(2) About the ICPR
(3) Flood action plan – why?
(4) Flood action plan: targets
(5) Flood action plan: implementation
(6) First results and outlook
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The Rhine: a European river
The Rhine catchment area
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Characteristics of the Rhine
�3rd biggest European riverafter Volga and Danube
�9 countriesItaly, Austria, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, The Netherlands
�Inhabitants58 million
�Drinking water supplyFor 20 million people
Hydrography of the Rhine
�Catchment area200.000 km²
�Length of the main stream1320 km
�Navigable length825 km
Basel/Rheinfelden - Rotterdam
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Hydrography of the Rhine
Mean annual discharge BASEL : 1.000 m³/s
maximum in Junelowest discharge: 202 m³/s (Feb.)Extreme flood 1882: 4.600 m³/sFlood 1999: ca. 5.000 m³/s
Mean annual discharge at the D/NL border: 2.200 m³/s
Minimum in JanuaryLowest discharge: 620 m³/s (1947, Nov.)Extreme flood: 12.600 m³/s (1926, Jan.) Flood 1995: ca. 12.000 m³/s
Difference in altitude Rotterdam-Basel: 260 m
1838
1872
1980
Changes during centuries –a part of the Upper Rhine
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International Rhine Commission
ICPRestablished 1950
MembersSwitzerland, France, Germany,Luxemburg, the Netherlands, European Community
ObserversStates: Austria, Liechtenstein, Belgium/WalloniaIntergovernmental Organisations: River Commissions ...Non-Governmental Organisations (16):Drinking water industry, Chemical industry, Nature protection, Flood protection, other uses....
ICPR: Important Events
�1950 Foundation
�1963 Treaty of Berne
�1972 1st Rhine Ministers Conference
�1976 Rhine Chemical Convention
�1976 Rhine Chloride Convention
�1986 Accident at Sandoz (CH)
�1987 Rhine Action Program
�1998 Action Plan on Floods
�1999 New treaty of Berne (2000 – WFD)
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Action Plan on Floods – Why?
December 1993 Cities flooded: Germany, The Netherlands
Jan./Feb. 1995Cities flooded: Germany,The Netherlands, twohundred thousandpeople evacuated
4 February 1995 Declaration of Arles: Mandate for the flood action plan
Koblenz – Deutsches Eck -Situation in 1993 and 2005
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Rhine Ministers’
Conference January 1998
Rotterdam
Decision:
Implementation of the flood action plan
Action Plan on Floods
GoalImproving the protection of people and property against floods
while
integrating ecological improvements of the Rhine
Action Plan on Floods
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Action targets:
(1) Reduce damage risks
(2) Reduce flood levels
(3) Increase awareness of floodings
(4) Improvement of flood forecasting
Action Plan on Floods
(1) Reduce damage risks
no increase until 2000
reduction up to 10% by 2005
reduction up to 25% by 2020
(2) Reduce extreme flood levels(downstream from Baden-Baden)
by 5 cm by 2000
by up to 30 cm by 2005
by up to 70 cm by 2020
Action Plan on Floods – targets
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(3) Increase flood awareness
by drafting risk maps of the entire inundation areas and the flood-prone areas by 2005
(4) Improve flood warning systems and prolong forecasting periods
by 50 % by 2000
by 100 % by 2005
Action Plan on Floods - targets
Action Plan on Floods: risk map
First risk mapfor an international river
PublicationAtlasCD-Romwww.iksr.org.
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Action Plan on Floods: risk map
OverviewRiver RhineScale 1 : 100.000
34 maps: Lake Constance -North Sea
Flood situation:once in 10 yearsonce in 100 yearsextreme flood
Action Plan on Floods: risk map
Depth of potentiallyflooded areas
different shades ofblue colours
<0,5 m>0,5 –2 m>2 – 4 m> 4 m
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Action Plan on Floods: damage potential
Calculation of damage potential
Landuse-Corine-Data-file
yellow: agricul. use 1€red: Buildings/cities<50 €, >50 €pink: industries/trade<25 €, >25 €
Action Plan: inrease flood awareness
Potential damage
High Rhine ~0,04 billion €
Upper Rhine ~12 billion €
Middle Rhine ~1,7 billion €
Lower Rhine ~20 billion €
Rhine delta ~131 billion €
Total damage sum:
~ 165 billion €
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Action Plan: inrease flood awareness
10,7 million people
are concerned by floodin these flood risk areas
The lives of
5,5 million people
are at risk during floodswith a depth of waterabove 2 m
Implementation of the Action Plan on Floods
River Rhine:
Potential damage
~ 165 billion €
Implementation
of the flood actionplan (12,3 billion€) is essential –
an economicimperative!
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Purpose of the Rhine atlas
�Raise the population‘s awareness for flood risk
�Inform on extent of damage in order to be able to justify and implement measures
�The atlas is meant as an incentive to draft more precise maps for regions and towns, for civil protection, for civil emercencyresponse groups such as fire brigades etc.
Action Plan on Floods: measures
Reduce extreme flood levels�Construct artificial water retention schemes along the main stream, where possible, relocate dikes, etc.
�Re-nature streams
�De-intensify agriculture and forestry
�Simultaneously: co-operate with spatial planning, agriculture, forestry, natureprotection
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Reduce damage risk
Action Plan on Floods: measures
- Land use control (e.g. open areas, guidelines for spatial planning)
- Precautionary construction (e.g. flood-compatible construction, no oiltanks and electric installations in basements, flood doors etc.)
- Flood preparedness (Protection for persons, information on correct behaviour, evacuation of areas at risk)
- Hazard preparedness (emergency measures, emergency spillways, financial preparedness through insurances)
Implementation of the flood action plan 2000-2005-2020
First Report by 2000:2001: adopted by 13th Conference of Rhine Ministers
�Damage risks -
�Reduction of flood levels ����
�Flood risk maps ����
�Flood forecasting ����
Second Report on the implementation by 2005
(in prep.)
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(1) Damage risks – even higher?
(2) Reduction of flood levels by up to 30 cm?
(3) Flood risk maps (main stream and some tributaries)
(4) Flood forecasting (doubling lead time for different Rhine stretches)
Implementation of the Action Plan on
Floods – Results by 2005?
Rhine 2020: Brochure
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ICPR Homepage: www.iksr.org
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