The Necessity of Creating a Comprehensive Perspective for Urban Flood Risk Management

Floods have been the third most destructive disaster after earthquakes and tropical storms in the past few years. Since many cities are located in floodplains or on the coasts due to economic interests, flood risk management has become a significant issue. The potential for flood damage in cities is very high because, in addition to river flooding causing flooding in cities, the concentration of population and valuable assets causes flood damage to be very widespread in urban areas. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the components of the flood risk function properly and to make effective plans for each one according to the conditions of each region. In this study, flood risk is defined as a function of hazard, vulnerability, and exposure. Considerable focus has been placed on the role of poverty in exacerbating flood risk because, in big cities, management strategies in different urban areas should be different, depending on the cultural situation and level of economic development of those areas. Also, this article emphasizes the necessity of participatory management and planning in flood-prone areas and highlights the consequences of excluding affected communities and stakeholders. Finally, various sections are presented to create a comprehensive framework for flood risk management.