Weighting the Perceived Importance of Minimising Economic, Social and Environmental/Cultural Risks in Flood Risk Management

In 2006, the Office of Public Works (OPW) began the National Catchment-based Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme through a series of pilot studies. A Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) Framework was developed through the CFRAM pilot studies that integrated a range of objectives related to human health and society, the environment and cultural heritage and the economy into the core process of selecting suitable flood risk management measures for a given area or location, and then for prioritising national investments for different schemes and projects. In support of this MCA framework, UCD, was commissioned to undertake a collaborative study with the OPW to determine global weights that reflect the perceived relative importance of a range of criteria pertaining to the importance of economic, social and environmental / cultural aspects of flood management strategies.