Risk Informed Decisions for Levees

Abstract

Recent events including the establishment of national levee committees in many countries as well as the recent establishment of a Technical Committee on Levees at the International Commission on Large Dams points to the growing interest in levee safety. Additionally, the use of information obtained from risk assessments for levee safety management is becoming more prevalent throughout the world. Several countries are routinely applying this information to support decisions and prioritize actions in all aspects of the life cycle of a levee. An initial effort was given to gather information on the determination of risk related to levees and the application of that risk in making risk management decisions. In November 2018, representatives from Canada (British Columbia), France, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States met to discuss risk-informed decisions for levees. During the forum, each country representative shared how risk assessment information is applied to levee management decisions in their respective country. A report of findings from this workshop was presented as an oral presentation at the 2019 ICOLD Conference, and a number of additional countries were queried to expand the existing information. This paper will provide a comprehensive report of information collected from numerous countries on the collection and application of risk information to inform levee management decisions. Preliminary findings suggest that many countries are performing risk assessments but the use of that information to inform decisions is inconsistent and in many instances only using a component of the risk. It is anticipated that the findings from this effort will serve as the impetus for the development of consistent international practices in the management of levee safety.