Flood risks in consequence of agrarian land‐use measures in flood formation and inundation zones and conclusions for flood risk management plans

• Published in: Irrigation and drainage 2011-12, Vol.60 (S1), p.105-112
• Main Authors: Quast, Joachim, Böhme, Michael, Ehlert, Volker, Ette, Juliane, Gottschick, Manuel, Jaeckel, Anette, Knierim, Andrea, Messal, Hilmar, Sawicka, Magdalena, Sbjeschni, André, Schmidt, Walter, Szerencsits, Manfred, Tümpling, Wolf Von
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: agricultural land; agricultural management models; agricultural runoff; agriculture; case studies; farmers; floodplains; floods; formation de ruissellement; gestion des risques; hydrologic models; inondation; inundation; land use; perception des risques; rain; research projects; risk; risk management; risk management process; risk perception; runoff formation; utilisation des terres; velocity; water flow; water management
• ISSN: 1531-0353; 1531-0361
• DOI: 10.1002/ird.674

The role of agricultural land use and its contribution to flood risks were the focus of the research project MinHorLam. Schematised models were applied to assess the impacts of different farming practices or of land use patterns on runoff formation as well as on water levels and flow velocities in flood conditions. The results show the range, potentials and limits of agricultural measures to mitigate flood risks. Aspects of matter accumulation in floodplains and management options were presented from case study results related to extreme flood events. Empirical social research on farmers' and administrators' perspectives complemented the analyses. Institutional actors from water management and agriculture rated agriculture as playing a moderate to low role in causing flood events. Also hazards caused by floods or heavy rain are usually of minor importance in farmers' managerial decisions if there is no immediate risk or damage. Nevertheless, to enhance risk prevention in agriculture, more action is needed, especially cooperation among different institutional actors in flood risk management and agriculture.