Othon Fialho de Oliveira from the National Water Agency (Brazil) has also shared the Brazilian experience on flood management on the second day of the event, and presented the national approach for hydrometereological monitoring, vulnerability and flood mapping.To bring a view from abroad, Mr. Chaiporn Siripornpibul from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Thailand presented the case of the flood disaster that took place in 2011 in Thailand and indicated the integrated management of floods, droughts and environmental aspects as an important issue to tackle the problem in his country.

Adrian Schimdt-Breton from the International Commission for the Protection of the Rhine presented the international Flood Risk Management Plan for the river Rhine basin as an example of transboundary flood risk management. Otto Huter from the Association of German Cities indicated the challenges for flood protection in Germany, and stressed the necessity of close cooperation between all levels of administration and policy making. Subsequently, in his keynote presentation Mr. Otto Schaaf, CEO of the Group of Municipal Drainage Operations Cologne, highlighting the company’s experience in coping with flood events. For the event kick-off, a welcome speech was carried out by Mr.

Koln germany flood