APELL and Floods

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United Nations Educational,

Scientific and Cultural Organization United Nations Environment Programme

Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level (APELL)

Gonaïves, Haiti, 22 600 deaths and a ound

250 000 people left homeless

APELL and FloodsA community-based approach for disaster

reduction

From UNDP Publication: Reducing Disaster Risk: A Challenge For Development , 2004

Every year, some 195 million people in more than 90 countries are

exposed to catastrophic flooding. Of all natural disasters, floodsaffect the greatest number of people worldwide and have thegreatest potential to cause damage. When they occur in lessdeveloped countries, floods can result in thousands of deaths andlead to epidemics, as well as effectively wiping out decades ofinvestment in infrastructure and seriously crippling economicprosperity.

High mortality from floods occurs in countries with poor, sparselypopulated rural areas where disaster preparedness and earlywarning are almost non-existent, and where health coverage is weakand care not easily accessible. People in these areas have lesspossibilities for evacuation from flood prone areas and are more

vulnerable to flood related diseases which can prove fatal.

Disaster inevitably leads to crisis and, once a crisis situation isestablished, it is the degree to which people are prepared fordisaster that determines how vulnerable or resilient their communitywill be. Experience throughout the world has shown, time and again,that it is local people who are best placed to prepare for and respondto disasters, including floods.

This brochure gives some background information on floods andthen highlights options for making communities better preparedthrough a bottom-up, community-based, participatory approach

known as APELL. APELL, standing for Awareness andPreparedness for Emergencies at the Local Level, is a processdesigned to create public awareness of hazards and to ensure thatcommunities and emergency services are adequately trained,coordinated and prepared to respond to and cope with disaster.

004,r

Photo: Marko Kokic, IFRC*

Central Europe, 2002,Austria, the Czech

Republic, Germany, France,Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary

and Slovakia

85 deaths and around 273 000people affected

Photo: Andrew MacColl, IFRC*

Mekong River, Vietnam andCambodia, 2000,

800 deaths and around8 500 000 people affectedPhoto: Viet Thanh, IFRC*

Venezuela, 1999,30 000 deaths and around500 000 people affected

Photo: IFRC*

China, Yangtze River, 1998,3 656 deaths and around 16

million left homelessPhoto: IFRC*

*IFRC – International Federation of RedCross and Red Crescent Society – Photostaken from IFRC website at:http://www.ifrc.org/index.asp



The importance of earlywarning systems (EWS)

for flood prediction

Early warning systems are technologicalinstruments for detecting andforecasting extreme flood events and forissuing alerts. If they are to be effective

in helping to reduce risk, early warningsystems need to be complemented byinformation on the actual risks posed byfloods and likely mitigation strategies.

This information must then becommunicated to the vulnerable groups,i.e. the communities. Communitiesshould not be merely passive recipientsof information; they should participateactively in the whole process of floodwarning. Their indigenous knowledge ofthe river basin should be taken intoaccount.

Early warning mechanisms comprisewarning, risk information, preparednessand efficient communication. Earlywarning can empower communitiesWarning must be given in good time, beprecise and prompt, and should conveyreliable information

Case-Study

taken from ISDR Publication (2002). Living with Risk

The RELSAT Project (Strengthening oflocal structures and early warningsystems) was implemented in pilotzones in each of the six CentralAmerican countries between November1998 and December 1999.

The purpose of this project was toestablish efficient and reliable earlywarning systems for floods, tailored tothe realities and capabilities of theselected pilot zones.

The project developed early warning

systems that work. People living in theupper parts of the river measure rainfalland water level regularly. They transmitthis information by radio to a centraloffice in the nearest municipality wherethe data are analysed. The centrecommunicates with people in the flood-prone areas. When danger isanticipated, the centre can alert thepopulation exposed to risks and canprepare for their evacuation, ifnecessary. In order to be effective, thissystem requires reliable communicationand coordination. Responsibilities mustbe clearly assigned and commitment

must be continuous. More informationon the ISDR publication Living with Risk (2002), on-line at:

http://www.unisdr.org/eng/about_isdr/basic _docs/LwR2004/ch5%20Section%205.pdf

Types of floods

River floods (seasonalflooding)

River floods are usuallycaused by seasonalprecipitation over large

catchment areas, by melting of snow that has accumulated overthe winter, or sometimes by a combination of these. In contrastto flash floods (see below), river floods normally build up slowly,are often seasonal and may continue for days or weeks.

Floods are naturallyoccurring hazards. They

become disasters when theyhave destructive effects on

human settlements.

Floods caused by tropical storms (flash floods)

The heavy rain that accompanies tropical storms is one of themost common causes of flooding. These storms form over thewarm ocean waters of the tropics and carry very large amountsof moisture. When conditions for their formation are right, giantstorms can reach the land very quickly (in 6 hours), usually

accompanied by torrential rainfall. The rain is too much for thestreams and rivers to handle, causing water to overflow andproduce floods.

Coastal Floods

Storms, wind and other events can sometimes cause oceanwater to overflow, leading to onshore flooding. Tsunamis,exceptionally large ocean waves triggered by volcanic events,landslides, earthquakes, or explosions, also cause coastalflooding.

How does human activity contribute tofloods?

The magnitude and frequency of floods is often increased byhuman activities. For instance:

Establishing settlements in floodplains endangers lives andproperty. The pressures of population growth and shortages ofland can push people to settle in floodplains, putting them andtheir property at risk. Floodplain development can also alterwater channels and this, if not well planned, can also contributeto floods.

Urbanization can contribute to flooding in several ways. Roadsand buildings cover the land preventing water from infiltrating,so that runoff forms artificial streams. Natural or artificialchannels can become constricted by debris or obstructed byriver facilities, impeding drainage and causing overflowing.Particularly complex changes take place around large citiesduring their expansion, strongly modifying runoff production anddrainage patterns.

Environmental and land degradation, deforestation and removalof root systems increase runoff. This effect can be compounded

when material eroded as a result of these activities is depositedin river channels, decreasing their capacity.

Failure to maintain or manage drainage systems, dams orlevees in vulnerable areas also contributes to flooding.



Flood prevention andpreparedness in practice

Within the community, individualsshould:

• recognize and follow warning signals• follow established evacuation plans• know which news services are

appropriate before, during and afterfloods• stay away from landslide prone areas• know if their property is in the

floodplain and what preventionmeasures should be taken

Rescue services need:

• equipment and training• local hazard maps showing flood

prone areas, and vulnerabilityassessments

• to monitor changes in river flows andmeteorological warnings on a

continuous basis• to implement local emergency plans• to mobilize community resources• to assess immediate needs for

evacuation, shelter, medical care,route deviations, etc.

• to have communication channels withthe public during crisis

• to perform full-scale evacuation drills

Government authorities should takesteps towards:

• having policy on floodplainmanagement integrated into the river

basin water management plan• strengthening and enforcing building

codes in flood prone areas• the acquisition of property in

floodplains to prevent theirdevelopment, and relocation ofresidents in high-risk areas

• the establishment and enforcement oflegislation and safe land-useplanning, to regulate development infloodplain areas

• the creation of economic incentives• making public information on flood

hazards available• training emergency services and

communities on flood preparedness• making medical services ready for a

flood crisis• improving local preparedness by

fostering links with national disastermanagement programmes

International agencies should:

• coordinate international and regionalcooperation on disaster management

• support effective early warning alertsand assessment studies

• encourage governments to adopt andenforce suitable legislation and policy

on disaster management, includingnational contingency plans• support the promotion of prevention

and preparedness procedures at thelocal level

How flood risks can be reduced

Living with floods – The bestapproach to flood management atnational level is to have it integratedinto a broader water managementstrategy. Such a strategy should alsotake into account ecological benefits

that are sometimes inherent to floods.

There is seldom asingle approach torisk reduction andmanagement, butrather a range ofmeasures extending

from developmentand enforcement ofpolicies through land use planning and engineering work, tothe development of forecasts, warnings, awareness-raising,and preparedness and response programmes. Emphasisshould be placed on attaining solutions that are practical,appropriate and sustainable for the community at risk.Implementation will only be sustainable if solutions aresuitable for the community in the long term.

Put briefly, there are three complementary approaches toreducing flood risk:

- keep the flood away from people;

- keep the people away from the flood; and- community preparedness

Keeping the flood away from people is a strategy that includesmeasures to contain or reduce the flood—i.e. structural floodcontrol measures such as the construction of dykes, levees,dams, etc. and low cost non-structural measures such as soiland water conservation, or erosion and sedimentation control.

Keeping the people away from the flood is a strategy thatincludes floodplain management, with land use control, floodproofing of houses, and flood forecasting and warning.

Preventing people from living in flood prone areas, orrelocating those who do, is not always possible. When this isthe case, the most useful and powerful strategy, CommunityPreparedness, comes into play.

Community preparedness for floods–APELL in practice

APELL means community preparedness. Flood preparednessbased on the APELL process is achieved through a structuredapproach to community participation in emergency planning. Itis based on a meaningful dialogue between all relevant

stakeholders, including local authorities and communityleaders. This dialogue is achieved through a broad-basedmulti-stakeholder, representative group which first reviews theflood situation and then proposes measures to address therisks. The outcome of this process is an emergency plan towhich the community has provided substantial input, andwhich ordinary citizens can understand. Communities needtheir emergency plans; evacuation centres and hospitals needto be prepared to deal with evacuees and injured people—andthat is APELL in practice.

The success of flood-related public participation initiativesrelies on (i) the achievement of a consensus agreementbetween decision-makers and the communities on a decision’spotential impact, taking into account the expectations of thecommunities; (ii) the involvement of stakeholders and theselection of an appropriate decision framework; and (iii) theadoption of highly effective flood and water managementconsultations.



How does APELL operate? APELL 10-step

approach APELL can be useful in anysituation that requires jointplanning for disasters by

several parties

The APELL process is amanagement tool that helpslocal people develop theinformation and decision-making structures they need toaddress the hazards facing their community. By engagingstakeholders in a process of structured dialogue and

coordination, APELL's 10-step approach leads to thedevelopment of a single, unified emergency response plan forthe entire community. Implementing the process not onlydevelops the crisis plan, it also fosters awareness raising andfeedback within the community.

1- Identify the emergency responseparticipants and establish their roles,

resources, and concerns

2- Identify and assess all hazardsand risks (multi-hazard approach)

that may result in emergencysituations in the community.

Propose early warning, preventionand mitigation measures

Local communities often have the technology or knowledgerequired to reduce their own vulnerability, but some keycommunity or social structure may be missing, preventingthem from realizing the benefits of vulnerability reduction atthe community level. APELL is a process that helps toempower local people so that they can organize, act together

and overcome barriers to successful community action.

3- Have participants review their ownemergency response plans to ensure

a coordinated response

4- Identify the required responsetasks not covered by existing plans

UNEP developed the APELL programme in the 1980s, inassociation with the chemicals industry, with the intention ofaddressing public hazards from industrial installations. It hassince been widened to encompass ports, transport, mining,industrial estates and natural disasters.

5- Match these tasks to the resourcesof the identified participants

UNEP and UNESCOThe mission of the United Nations EnvironmentProgramme (UNEP) in the field of disaster reduction is toaddress the immediate and long term human, social, health,

economic and environmental impacts of natural and human-induced disasters, minimizing the resulting environmentalemergencies that they cause. UNEP’s approach is to promotedisaster management to reduce vulnerability and enhancecoping-mechanisms through capacity building, and activities inthe field of early warning and assessment, prevention andpreparedness, emergency response mechanisms, post-disaster assessment and post-conflict assessment, andenvironmental rehabilitation.

6- Make the changes to improveexisting plans, integrate them into an

overall community plan, and gainagreement

7- Commit the integrated communityplan to writing and obtain approval

from local governments

8- Educate participating groups aboutthe integrated plan

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organization. UNESCO’s aims in the field of naturaldisasters are: to promote a better understanding of thedistribution in time and space of natural hazards and of theirintensity; to help set up reliable early warning systems; tosupport rational land use plans; to encourage the adoption ofsuitable building designs; to promote the protection ofeducational buildings and cultural monuments; to enhancepreparedness and public awareness through education andtraining; and to foster technical post-disaster investigation,recovery and rehabilitation.

9- Establish procedures for periodictesting, review, and updating of theplan

10- Educate the community about theintegrated plan – Awareness raising

campaigns

Brochure Bibliography:

UNDP Publication (2004). Reducing Disaster

Risk: A Challenge for Development

Several publications from the UNDP Disaster

Management Training Programme

ISDR Publication: Living with Risk (2002) andGuidelines for Reducing Flood Losses (2004)

UNESCO (1993). Environment and

Development Briefs

OCHA Publication (1997). Floods, People at

Risk, Strategies for Prevention

UNEP Publication (1988). APELL Handbook

UNEP - Division of Technology, Industry and Economics39-43 quai André Citroën - 75739 Paris Cedex 15, FranceTel. +33 (0) 1 44 37 14 50; Fax +33 (0) 1 44 37 14 74E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.uneptie.org/apell

UNESCO - Disaster Reduction, Natural Sciences Sector1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15, FranceTel: +33 (0) 1 45 68 41 20; Fax: +33 (0) 1 43 06 17 76E-Mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.unesco.org/science/index.shtml

Compiled by: Ruth Zugman Do Coutto, Consultant, and Badaoui Rouhban, Chief,Section for Disaster Reduction, Natural Sciences Sector, UNESCO, December 2004 SC-2004/WS/48

APELL and Floods

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