The aim of the EU ‘Floods’ Directive, which came into force in 2007, is to reduce the adverse consequences of flooding on human health, the environment, cultural heritage and economic activity. The Directive requires Member States to undertake three key steps of analysis and planning:
• The Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment (FRA): A screening of flood risk to identify Areas of Potentially Significant Flood Risk (APSFRs), which were referred to as Areas for further Assessment (AFAs) for the National CFRAM Programme . The PFRA is a preliminary assessment, based on available or readily-derivable information.
• The Flood Maps: The preparation of flood hazard and risk maps for the APSFRs.
• The Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs): The preparation of plans setting out objectives and a set of measures aimed at the management and reduction of flood risk within the APSFRs.
In undertaking these three key steps, the Directive also requires Member States to exchange information and coordinate across borders, to coordinate with the implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and to publish the PFRA and Maps and encourage the active involvement of interested parties in the preparation of the FRMPs.
The ‘Floods’ Directive is cyclical, requiring a review of the PFRA, the Flood Maps and the FRMPs on a six-yearly cycle.
The flood maps and the FRMPs are available on the OPW’s flood portal - www.floodinfo.ie
The review of the PFRA was completed in 2019.
The review of the FRMPs was completed in December 2021.