The flood of August 2005 represents a unique event in the context of recent history. However, it is not unique in historical terms. Thus major supraregional hazard events must also be expected in the future.
The consistent pursuit of a comprehensive flood protection policy is essential to prevent similar or worse damage than that which arose in 2005 from occurring again: the unimpeded spread of hazard potential must be prevented through careful land use.
Hazard maps and other products used in hazard and risk assessment constitute an important prerequisite for this process. The necessary measures can be implemented on the basis of the information provided by such tools.
It must also be expected, however, that events will arise that exceed the effectiveness of the measures undertaken. Thus, protective measures of all types must be robust and also consider the case of overload.
In addition, preventive protective measures and well-prepared and practised emergency measures are also necessary to avoid the uncontrolled spread of the damage caused. Timely warning and alerting make an important contribution to ensuring that extraordinary events are better managed than in the past.
Thus, flood protection policy remains an ongoing task which concerns not only the experts but must also and increasingly involve the entire population.