The European Flood Risk Management Directive and its implementation in the German Federal states.

Germany has traditionally a strong interest in flood protection and prevention strategies and measures. This is among the reasons why the Federal Government and the German Federal states ("Lander") were actively engaged in the process of the preparation of the European "Flood Risk Management Directive" of the European Parliament and Council (2007/60/EC). Hence, the major elements of the Directive like Preliminary Flood Risk Assessment, Hazard and Risk Maps and Flood Risk Management Plans are of significant importance for the development of sustainable flood risk management schemes in the responsibility of the relevant Lander administration units. The current process is characterised by the integration of on Lander basis already existing plans, action plans and maps into the transposition process taking fully into account the paradigmatic change from flood protection towards flood risk management.