ABSTRACT
Flooding is a global and somewhat inevitable phenomenon, which currently impacts in excess of 520 million people per year worldwide (United Nations University 2004). Some estimates show that the number of people living at risk of devastating floods worldwide is set to double from one billion in 2004 to two billion by 2050 unless more attention is paid to prevention and prediction (United Nations University 2004). In England and Wales, two million homes are in risk areas, although many of these areas are managed adequately. However, 570,000 homes and businesses face a high risk of flooding, twice as many as 2002 estimates (ABI 2006). These figures could rise further if climate change results in more frequent extreme weather events or if properties continue to be constructed on floodplains.
