Review Article: "Flood damage assessment on agricultural areas: review and analysis of existing methods"

In Europe, economic evaluation of flood management projects is becoming a commonly used decision tool. At the same time, flood management policies shift towards new concepts such as giving more room to water by restoring floodplain and living with floods. Agricultural areas are particularly targeted by these policies since they are more frequently located in floodplain areas and are considered less vulnerable than other assets such as cities or industries. Since additional or avoided damage on agriculture may have a high influence on the efficiency of these policies, flood damage assessment on agricultural areas becomes an issue to tackle. This paper reviews existing studies addressing the question of flood damage on agriculture. Based on 41 studies, which can be qualitative or quantitative approaches, we propose a conceptual framework to analyze evaluation methods. Then, 26 studies which propose a method to evaluate agricultural damage are analyzed according to the following criterias: types of damage considered, influencing flood parameters chosen and monetized damage indicators used. The main findings of this review are that existing methods focus mainly on crop damage and do not allow correct evaluation of new flood management policies. Finally, future research challenges and recommendations for practitioners are highlighted

Benefits of adapting to sea level rise : the importance of ecosystem services in the French Mediterranean sandy coastline

This article proposes an innovative approach to assess the benefits of adapting to sea level rise (SLR) in a coastal area on a regional scale. The valuation framework integrates coastal ecosystem services, together with urban and agricultural assets. We simulate the impacts of a progressive 1 m rise in sea level in the twenty-first century and an extreme flooding event in 2100 for four contrasted adaptation scenarios (Denial, “Laissez-faire”, Protection and Retreat). The assessment involves coupling the results of hazard-modelling approaches with different economic valuation methods, including direct damage functions and methods used in environmental economics. The framework is applied to the French Mediterranean sandy coastline. SLR will result in major land-use changes at the 2100 time horizon: relocation or densification of urban areas, loss of agricultural land, increase in lagoon areas and modification of wetlands (losses, migration or extension of ecosystems). Total benefits of public adaptation options planned in advance could reach €31.2 billion for the period 2010–2100, i.e. €69,000 per inhabitant (in the study area) in 2010 or €135 million/km of coastline. Our results highlight the importance of (i) raising awareness to ensure that public services and coastal managers can anticipate the consequences of SLR and (ii) incorporating coastal ecosystems into the assessment of the adaptation options. Our findings could provide a basis for participatory foresight approaches to build coastline adaptation pathways.PostprintPeer reviewe

Process-based flood damage modelling relying on expert knowledge: a methodological contribution applied to the agricultural sector

International audienceFlood damage assessment is crucial for evaluating flood management policies. In particular, properly assessing damage to agricultural assets is important because they are complex economic systems particularly exposed to floods. The modelling approaches used to assess flood damage are of several types and can be fed by damage data collected post-flood, from experiments or based on expert knowledge. The process-based models fed by expert knowledge are the subject of research and also widely used in an operational way. Although identified as potentially transferable, they are in reality often case-specific and difficult to reuse in time (updatability) and space (transferability). In this paper, we argue that process-based models, based on a rigorous modelling process, can be suitable for application in different contexts. We propose a methodological framework aimed at verifying the conditions necessary to develop these models in a spirit of capitalisation by relying on four axes which are (i) the explicitation of assumptions, (ii) the validation, (iii) the updatability, (iv) the transferability. The methodological framework is then applied to the model we have developed in France to produce national damage functions for the agricultural sector. We show in this paper that the proposed methodological framework facilitates an explicit description of the modelling assumptions and data used, which is necessary to consider for a reuse in time or for transfer to another geographical area. In this sense, this methodological framework constitutes a solid basis for considering the validation, transfer, comparison and capitalisation of data collected around models based on processes relying on expert knowledge. In conclusion, we identify research tracks to be implemented so as to pursue this improvement in a spirit of capitalisation and international cooperation

Process-based flood damage modelling relying on expert knowledge: a methodological contribution applied to agricultural sector

Flood damage assessment is crucial for evaluating flood management policies. In particular, properly assessing damage to the agricultural assets is important because they may have greater exposure and are complex economic systems. The modelling approaches used to assess flood damage are of several types and can be fed by damage data collected post-flood, from experiments or based on expert knowledge. The process-based models fed by expert knowledge are subject of research and also widely used in an operational way. Although identified as potentially transferable, they are in reality often case-specific and difficult to reuse in time (updatbililty) and space (transferability). In this paper, we argue that process-based models are not doomed to be context specific as far as the modelling process is rigorous. We propose a methodological framework aiming at verifying the conditions necessary to develop these models in a spirit of capitalisation by relying on four axes which are: i/ the explicitation of assumptions, ii/ the validation, iii/ the updatability, iv/ the transferability. The methodological framework is then applied to the model we have developed in France to produce national damage functions for the agricultural sector. We show in this paper that the proposed methodological framework allows an explicit description of the modelling assumptions and data used, which is necessary to consider a reuse in time or a transfer to another geographical area. We also highlight that despite the lack of feedback data on post-flood damages, the proposed methodological framework is a solid basis to consider the validation, transfer, comparison and capitalisation of data collected around process-based models relying on expert knowledge. In conclusion, we identify research tracks to be implemented to pursue this improvement in a spirit of capitalisation and international cooperation

MISEEVA: set up of a transdisciplinary approach to assess vulnerability of the coastal zone to marine inundation at regional and local scale, within a global change context.

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