Introduction

FRIAR 2012 is the third conference in this successful series. The conference started at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London in 2008 and was reconvened at the Lombardy Region in Milano in 2010. Flooding is a global phenomenon that claims numerous lives worldwide each year. In addition, many more people must endure the homelessness, disease and crop failures that are left in the wake of floods.

The increased frequency of flooding in the last few years, coupled with climate change predictions and urban development, suggests that these statistics are set to worsen in the future. When flooding occurs in populated areas, it can cause substantial damage to property as well as threatening human life.

Apart from the physical damage to buildings, contents and loss of life, which are the most obvious impacts of floods upon households, other more indirect losses are often overlooked. These intangible impacts are generally associated with disruption to normal life as well as longer term health issues including stress related illness.

The conference provides a forum for researchers, academics and practitioners actively involved in improving our understanding of flood events including risk management and mitigation, as well as emergency response and many other related issues. The meeting will bring together engineers, scientists and other professionals from many countries involved in research and development activities in a wide range of technical and management topics related to flooding and its devastating effects.