Regional Training Workshop on Implementation of Integrated Flood Management (IFM): lessons learned and challenges

 

1. Introduction

After successfully conducting 13th RCUWM Governing Board (GB) Meeting on 23 February 2023, it was decided that in line with the approved proposal about transferring experiences and technical knowledge in the field of integrated river management, a book entitled “Introduction to Integrated Flood Management (IFM)” which is extracted from technical publications of the Associated Program on Flood Management (APFM) – founded by WMO and GWP in 2001- has been compiled and translated in Persian and widely published. Integrated Flood Management (IFM) is a process that promotes an integrated, rather than fragmented, approach to flood management. It integrates land and water resources development in a river basin, within the context of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), with a view to maximizing the efficient use of floodplains and minimizing loss of life.

Regional Centre on Urban Water Management (under the auspices of UNESCO) in order to pursue its goals of training and capacity building and transferring executive experiences and scientific research in the field of flood management across the member states of its governing board has decided to hold a training workshop in line with the implementation of integrated flood management (IFM) at a national scale through sharing some experiences of the APFM.

Implementation of the IFM concept across countries in the region that usually have arid and semi-arid climates could have benefits such as providing the water that has been harvested and stored from floods, promoting resiliency against floods via deployment of public participation, and also reduction of negative impacts due to flash and monsoon floods.

  1. Workshop Objectives
  • Training of experts and participants with IFM concept and case studies
  • Enhancing the level of technical knowledge required to put the IFM concept into practice in the country and among consultancy engineering society and related governmental managers.
  • Exchanging up-to-date knowledge and experiences in the field of flood management with RCUWM Governing Board member states
  1. Main Themes:
  • IFM concept and principles
  • Laws and regulations in terms of technical, social, economic and environmental aspects
  • Experiences and lessons learned: case studies and challenges
  • Operational strategies and mechanisms (focusing on stakeholder participation, training, and capacity building, awareness raising, integration of IFM into urban management, flood forecasting, and warning system, and how to consider climate change in IFM)
  1. Audiences and Participants
  • Managers or senior experts of the RCUWM GB member states
  • Some Iranian consulting engineering companies are active and having various specialties related to flood management
  • Senior governmental managers and decision makers involved in flood management in Iran include Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Agriculture Jihad, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Roads and Urban Development (i.e., Iran Meteorological Organization), and other relevant Organizations (e.g., Plan and Budget Organization)
  1. Date and Venue
  • Date: 15 to 17 November, 2023
  • Venue: Conference hall, Iranian Society of Consulting Engineers, Tehran, Iran