ABSTRACT
Flood risk is inherently site-specific. There are a variety of ways in which flood risk can be mapped, modelled and understood. This chapter begins by discussing risk in relation to its component parts of hazard, exposure and vulnerability. It highlights a number of progressive approaches for communicating flood risk and assessing resilience. The nature of the hazard will vary depending on the type of flooding, the context and any contributing social, economic and environmental conditions. The duration for which flood waters remain can vary depending on the type of flooding and factors such as topography, volume of rainfall, ground conditions and whether there are compounding conditions. The exposure of a community to flood risk depends on the probability or likelihood of an event and its position in relation to the hazard. Flood zones are used as planning tools to determine the likelihood of flooding in a given area.
