This publication addresses the need to focus more on mitigating risks and preparing for floods, rather than simply dealing with the consequences after a flood occurs, in order to reduce flood losses and help communities in both developed and developing countries improve flood resilience. It provides insights into ways this might be done. It is intended as a contribution towards the debate about building, understanding and enhancing community flood resilience. 

To put more emphasis on risk reduction ‘ex-ante’ as opposed to recovery ‘ex-post,’ it highlights three key aspects: (i) a holistic approach to community flood resilience; (ii) better information for communities; and (iii) the need for communities to overcome behavioral, economic and institutional barriers. 

This publication is based on a more detailed white paper developed by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center (Wharton) as part of the Zurich flood resilience alliance.