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The failed-levee effect: Do societies learn from flood disasters?

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  • R. Collenteur
  • H. Moel
  • B. Jongman
  • G. Di Baldassarre

Abstract

Human societies have learnt to cope with flood risks in several ways, the most prominent ways being engineering solutions and adaptive measures. However, from a more sustainable point of view, it can be argued that societies should avoid or at least minimize urban developments in floodplain areas. While many scientists have studied the impact of human activities on flood risk, only a few studies have investigated the opposite relationships, i.e. the impacts of past flood events on floodplain development. In this study, we make an initial attempt to understand the impact of the occurrence of flood disasters on the spatial distribution of population dynamics in floodplain areas. Two different methodologies are used to uncover this relationship, a large-scale study for the USA and a case-study analysis of the 1993 Mississippi flood. The large-scale analysis is performed at county level scale for the whole of the USA and indicates a positive relationship between property damage due to flood events and population growth. The case-study analysis examines a reach of the Mississippi river and the territory, which was affected by flooding in 1993. Contrary to the large-scale analysis, no significant relationship is found in this detailed study. However, a trend of dampened population growth right after the flood followed by an accelerated growth a decade later could be identified in the raw data and linked to explanations found in the literature. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2015

Suggested Citation

  • R. Collenteur & H. Moel & B. Jongman & G. Di Baldassarre, 2015. "The failed-levee effect: Do societies learn from flood disasters?," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 76(1), pages 373-388, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:76:y:2015:i:1:p:373-388
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-014-1496-6
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    Cited by:

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    2. Laura Devitt & Jeffrey Neal & Gemma Coxon & James Savage & Thorsten Wagener, 2023. "Flood hazard potential reveals global floodplain settlement patterns," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Johanna Grames & Dieter Grass & Peter M. Kort & Alexia Prskawetz, 2019. "Optimal investment and location decisions of a firm in a flood risk area using impulse control theory," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 27(4), pages 1051-1077, December.
    4. Fell, Harrison & Kousky, Carolyn, 2015. "The value of levee protection to commercial properties," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 181-188.
    5. Mingming Luo & Robert E. Criss, 2017. "Base flood estimates compared and linked to engineering modifications of the Missouri River," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 88(1), pages 559-574, August.
    6. Eric E. Calloway & Nadine B. Nugent & Katie L. Stern & Ashley Mueller & Amy L. Yaroch, 2022. "Lessons Learned from the 2019 Nebraska Floods: Implications for Emergency Management, Mass Care, and Food Security," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-17, September.

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