FLOOD GREEN GUIDE

The Flood Green Guide, published by WWF International, advocates for an Integrated Flood Management (IFM) approach that prioritizes non-structural methods and combines 'soft' (nature-based) and 'hard' (engineered) structural interventions. It provides a five-stage project cycle—preliminary analysis, method identification, selection and design, operation and monitoring, and project evaluation—to help local managers reduce flood risk. The guide details various techniques, from upper watershed restoration and constructed wetlands to engineered drainage and land-use zoning, while emphasizing the importance of gender analysis, community engagement, and the specific challenges of urban flooding, such as the urban heat island effect and land subsidence.

• The guide promotes an Integrated Flood Management (IFM) approach, which views flooding as a natural process that can provide ecological and social co-benefits, such as nutrient delivery for agriculture in Bangladesh and Niger.
• Flood risk management is categorized into structural methods (further divided into 'hard' engineering and 'soft' nature-based methods) and non-structural methods, which focus on changing laws, regulations, and human behavior.
• The recommended implementation sequence is to first apply non-structural IFM methods and then, if necessary, incorporate structural hard or soft methods as part of an integrated strategy.
• Urbanization significantly increases flood risk by increasing impervious surfaces, which can raise surface runoff volumes by two to 16 times the pre-development rate.
• The 'urban heat island' (UHI) effect, caused by dark impervious materials and reduced vegetation, creates a warmer microclimate that can influence local weather and flood risk.
• Land subsidence, driven by groundwater over-extraction and the weight of urban infrastructure, increases the area at risk of flooding and can exacerbate the impacts of sea level rise.
• Nature-based 'soft' methods, such as upper watershed restoration and wetland restoration, provide long-term resilience and ecological co-benefits, though they may take longer to implement than hard engineering.
• Hard engineering structures like dams and levees are discouraged as primary solutions because they can increase flood risk in other areas and disrupt river ecosystems.
• Gender analysis is essential to flood risk management because men and women are affected by disasters differently due to distinct social and economic roles.
• The guide outlines a five-stage project cycle for managers: Preliminary Analysis and Assessment, Method Identification, Methods Selection and Design, Operation and Monitoring, and Project Evaluation.

APA

WWF International (n.d.). FLOOD GREEN GUIDE. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/147/538k358t40_WWF_Flood_Green_Guide_FINAL.pdf

Chicago

WWF International. FLOOD GREEN GUIDE. n.d. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/147/538k358t40_WWF_Flood_Green_Guide_FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=WWF International |title=FLOOD GREEN GUIDE |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/147/538k358t40_WWF_Flood_Green_Guide_FINAL.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wwfinternationalndflood, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{FLOOD GREEN GUIDE}}, institution = {WWF International}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/147/538k358t40_WWF_Flood_Green_Guide_FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }