Yulia Timoshkina

Our society has invested considerable funds in infrastructure development on flood plains. However, the approach to flood management has always been reactive: flood defenses are usually built after flooding cause severe damage to constructions. Recent evidence has proved that traditional engineering measures are insufficient to protect the population from flooding. A sustainable long-term approach for floodplain development, which considers socio-economic constraints as well as environmental objectives, is necessary to in order to mitigate flood impact and to manage the causes of flooding.

This research aims to explore the current investment structure and the process of investment decision-making in Scotland. Collaboration with the Scottish Executive’s National Technical Advisory Group provided deep understanding of the influential aspects of the Scottish water industry and flood management.

In order to investigate sustainable flood management options that will direct asset investment strategy, an application of the system analysis tool is examined. This includes the development of a conceptual framework to integrate the flood sources, spatial and temporal implementation scales and possible intervention/response measures. System modelling allowed the construction of a more sustainable investment decision framework for high-level asset investment, capable of bringing together various projects, drivers, and social, economic and environmental issues. It also helped to explore the developments required for integrated flood risk management strategy to be transformed into practice.