Technical Studies

The scope of flood plains management includes three major elements, i.e., flood plains delineation, land management and legalization. The flood plains delineation is essentially the fundamental element of flood plains management. Technical issues are the major concerns in flood plains delineation and hence draw up of technical reference manual becomes the major task. The element of land management is crucial to implement flood plains management and the strategy and specifications draw up for land management are main tasks. Legalization is the enforcement element to carry out flood plains management. In essence, flood plains delineation and land management should have legal support to enforce. In addition, to unify and simplify the operational procedures for flood plains management, a flood plains management system should be established in order to complete integrated planning of flood plains management operations.

The Institute of Planning and Hydraulic Research of the Water Resources Agency has recently completed research work on flood plains delineation, one of the flood plains management elements, and drawn up "Technical Reference Manual for Flood Plains Delineation" and set up on-line information supportive system in coping with flood plains delineation operations. However, it is still inadequate so far as the materialization of flood plains management is concerned. This Project aims to furnish strategies for complete and feasible flood plains management. The scope of work includes (1) further investigations and discussions on flood plains delineation techniques for possible additions and revisions to "Technical Reference Manual for Flood Plains Delineation", (2) research and analysis on land management issues, (3) research and analysis on legalization element, and (4) establishment, maintenance, additions and revisions, and extended applications of flood plains integrated management system (including flood plains delineation, land management and legalization).

Work completed in the Project, list as follows.

1. Investigations and discussions on flood plains delineation techniques:

(1) Completed flood plains delineations for Yan-shui creek, Tung-Kang creek and Keelung River, two different types of river.

(2) Completed additions and revisions to "Technical Reference Manual for Flood Plains Delineation" based on on-the-job experiences.

2. Land management element:

(1) Collections and analyses of relevant information from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the United States.

(2) Analysis on determination of base flood.

(3) Analysis on evaluation and estimate of flood damages.

(4) Comparison analysis between implementation of land management in flood plains and flood insurance policy.

(5) Preliminary strategy for land management.

(6) Preliminary specifications for land management.

3. Legalization element:

(1) Analysis on present crucial problems.

(2) Analysis on current water conservancy laws relevant to flood plains management.

(3) Analysis on draft water conservancy laws revised version II relevant to flood plains management.

(4) Comparison analysis between legalization of integrated water management in Japan and flood plains management in this Project.

(5) Initial conception of framework for legalization.

4. Establishment, maintenance, additions and revisions, and extended applications of integrated management system:

(1) Additions and revisions on delineation of flood plains.

(2) Setup of on-line instruction course on SOBEK model.

(3) Additions on land management and framework for legalization.

(4) Extended applications of the whole system.