PROJECT
PLACES – Pluvial flood hazard and risk assessment and mitigation in European cities PLACES project sets to
(1) explore efficient and scalable pluvial flood hazard and risk mapping and assessment services in urban context, capable of complementing the fluvial hazard risk mandated by the EU Floods Directive, and essential for devising sustainable and efficient risk financing (e.g. risk retention) and transfer (e.g. insurance) strategies;
(2) analyse financial and economic incentives for behavioural and land-use changes that are instrumental for reducing the pluvial flood risk, preferably by employing nature- or ecosystem-based solutions such as natural water retention and urban requalification.
The ultimate output of the PLACES project will be a design of climate service that assesses the pluvial flood hazard in urban context, sheds light on how unsustainable land-use (soil sealing) and urban planning contributes to increased damage and loss, and explores incentives which insurers and public authorities may use to foster individual and collective risk reduction efforts. Part of the envisaged climate service is a joint venture involving the partners of this project meant to deliver the climate service outlined above. PLACES will (i) explore and analyse the demand for the outlined climate service, and (ii) develop and test cost-effective and efficient technical solutions. We envisage that a demonstration project will follow-up PLACES starting from 2018