The partner areas involved in the project, i.e. Zeeland (NL), Flanders (B) and Somerset (UK) are all areas prone to flooding. Not only maritime flooding is a potential risk to all three, despite flood defence structures that are put in place, but also the risk of fluvial and pluvial floods has increased during the last decade due to climate change effects. The aim of the Flood Aware project has been to minimise the (economic) impact caused by flooding.

Objectives to achieve this included to increase flood awareness, the level of self-efficacy and level of resilience of the population through a new approach by applying social marketing techniques to develop a framework for a social marketing campaign. This framework has been based on the outcomes of three pilots.

In addition, a concept for a visitor and information centre has been developed and implemented. this concept has been based on theories describing the best ways how to increase both risk perception as well as self efficacy and the willingness to prepare oneself.

The keys activities of the Flood Aware project are related to the development of the Flood Aware wiki database with data from the three partner regions/countries, opened up to the wider public via internet but also available in the Flood Museum in Ouwerkerk (NL) as part of the Flood Aware knowledge and information centre that has been realised as one of the results of the project. This centre also includes a 3D flood visualisation tool showing the consequences and impact of flooding in the province of Zeeland.
Furthermore three pilots were held and evaluated. The results were used for the development of a framework for a social marketing programme to increase awareness for the risk of flooding AND to increase the level of self-efficacy as well as make the regions more resilient.
Based on a story line, developed by an external expert and discussed and agreed upon by the project partners, the concept for a visitor and information centre has been developed, discussed and implemented. The centre includes a unique tool to increase awareness by trigger the fear appeal: a 3D flood visualization that people can use to 'fly' to their home or work location (in Zeeland only in this pilot set up) and see the impact of a flood. Moreover, they also can see how the flooding is developing and what possible ways could be best use for evacuation or will remain dry. This information is not only relevant for the people themselves, but also for professionals, e.g. emergency services.
Another joint developed and filled tool is the wiki database that includes all kind of information on flooding, possible preparations and mitigating actions, experiences etc. The wiki is available through the internet, but also made accessible in the above mentioned visitor and information centre.

The results achieved by the Flood Aware project include:
- Flood Aware knowledge and information centre;
- 3D flood visualisation tool;
- Flood Aware wiki database;
- 1 pilot for opening up data base for the public (in Flood Museum)
- 3 flood awareness pilot campaigns;
- 1 framework for a social marketing campaign;
- 1 marketing/securing legacy plan including implementation;
- 2 conferences;
- 3 events;
- meetings of working committees and steering committee;
- communication and dissemination activities and products

The target groups aimed at in the Flood Aware project include the citizens of the three partner regions being prone to flooding as well as the professionals, e.g. emergency services and policy makers. All were involved directly in the collection of data, knowledge and experiences used for the flood Aware wiki database. The citizens were narrowed down in smaller segmented target groups for the three regions individually: for Zeeland SME's, for Somerset the urban community and for Flanders children in the age of 10-12 years. These three groups were set as target groups for the awareness pilot campaigns that were developed and implemented.
The framework for a social marketing campaign to increase awareness for both the risk of flooding and increasing the level of self-efficacy make regions more resilient. This framework as well as the concept for the Flood Aware knowledge and information centre are results useful for the beneficiaries of the project including policy makers and flood and water management practitioners within the partner regions including environment agencies, drainage boards, emergency services, local and regional authorities and highways agencies.

The effects/outcomes of the Flood Aware project are similar to each of the three partner regions, as they are all prone to flooding. The project has collected experiences and insights of target audiences and beneficiaries to develop new tools and ways to increase flood awareness AND to increase the level of self-efficacy of citizens as well as resilience of the community when it comes to flooding. Tools such as the Flood Aware wiki, but also the framework for a social marketing campaign based on the three pilots are new and useful tools to be used in regions prone to flooding.

The added value of cross border cooperation in the implementation of the Flood Aware project has been the exchange of knowledge, experiences and insights in between the partner regions. All three partners were based in regions prone to flooding and brought in different experiences and expertise in flood and water management, emergency planning and communication. Furthermore, all partner felt the need for a different approach in risk communication in relation to flooding. It has proven invaluable to discuss and evaluate ideas, pilots and concepts and work jointly towards the developments of the project results. Without this cross-border cooperation the individual partners would have continued working along their traditional patterns without trying, testing and implementing the results achieved in Flood Aware.

Yes, we have built relationships and exchange with the Floodcom project, who also participated in the Flood Aware international conference and final event, and we presented the Flood Aware results at the final conference of the NWE WAVE project.

Acknowledging the lack of success of the more traditional flood awareness campaigns and the change towards a more self-efficacy approach in the wider society also when it comes to risk and crisis management, the Flood Aware project has been looking at a new approach in risk communication. Based on qualitative and quantitative data collection among the stakeholders and beneficiaries, the project partners have developed a framework based on social marketing principles. The results of pilots’ campaigns have been incorporated in the development of this framework. Similarly the basics and principles behind this framework have been used in the development of the knowledge and information and visitor centre.



What has been very important to the partners it the sustainability of the project results. This has been realised by securing the project legacy: embedding the results with 'natural owners', thus securing continuous use and even ongoing development and maintenance.

The Flood Aware partnership has actively been looking for ways to secure its legacy by identifying 'natural' owners of its results that would secure and continue development of the project outcomes.
For Zeeland, the Flood Museum, the Safety Region and the HZ University of Applied Sciences were identified as the natural owners and have been actively involved in the implementation of the project.
In developing the educational package, the Flemish elementary school qualifications were taken into consideration, in order to make sure that schools would be eager to make good use of the package. Horizon Educatif, the developer of the package and a non-profit organisation, becomes the natural owner of the package after the project lifetime and they would keep promoting it actively to the schools.
For Somerset, the results and lessons learned have been secure and implemented within own the organisation as the responsible party under the Flood Management Act.

During the implementation of the Flood Aware project, it became clear that there were more parallel structures and ongoing developments in the three partner regions then the fact they were all prone to flooding. These included the economic development, the rural character, the lack of a university, a nuclear power plant (Zeeland/Somerset), namely all areas that could foster further cooperation. An initiative to organise an evaluation meeting between the King's Commissioner from Zeeland, the Governor of West-Flanders and the County Council Leader of Somerset to evaluate the activities and results of the Flood Aware project and to discuss the benefits of such cross-border cooperation project could not be implemented. Although the initiative was well received in the respective partner organisations, it was called of as it seemed not possible to fund it from project resources anymore as the implementation period had been closed and the initiative could not be seen as part of the closure procedure.
Regions now will stay in contact and seek for other opportunities to continue cooperation.

The future implication of the partners to an INTERREG VA 2 Seas Programme is to be decided up on, also depending on policy preferences.