Climate change, land use, and sprawling urbanisation over the past decades are leading to floods becoming more frequent and intense with devastating effects on human lives and the environment. Although governments across the world are recognizing the growing risk of flooding, there are still skill gaps in this field with a clear need for more flood risk managers who are trained to help create flood resilient places. With this, we see interest and scope for jobs and career opportunities in flood risk management.
This unexplored career option is the key to finding a long-term solution to end or at least better manage disasters caused by floods and build a tactical plan to have cities, towns, and countries more equipped to manage floods.
Flood Risk Management Course Module
There are various courses for starting or developing a career in this sector. One of them is MSc in Flood Risk Management which is a postgraduate degree spanning one to two years, depending on the institution. The course teaches a wide array of important skills needed to manage flooding in the future. This includes the modelling of flood hazards, collection of environmental data, and working with communities to develop flood adaptation and mitigation measures. The fundamental aim of this program is to reduce the human and socio-economic losses caused by flooding while at the same time taking into account the social, economic, and ecological benefits from floods.
This opens up options in floodplain management from technical-oriented positions like hydrologists to more planning/land use management-oriented positions like local and state floodplain managers, and hazard mitigation project planners/ managers. Graduates take their skills and expertise to jobs in national agencies and consultancies. The course covers Flood Adaptation and Mitigation, Managing Flood Incidents, Flood Resilience, Hydrology and Hydraulics, Urban Planning, and Modelling Flood Impacts.
The course prepares students to pursue several options in learning how to create ideas and measures to prevent risks related to floods. Improving their knowledge and investigative abilities by engaging in live projects. Students will be equipped to learn which concepts exist to protect people from hazards by proper learning of catchments, rivers, and settlements at risk.
Occupations after the Course
With this growing recognition and understanding of the importance of flood risk management, this field opens up a wide range of occupations and professions. One might be working alongside organisations, like environment agencies, to help improve areas that are designated for public land use. Thereby reducing the impact of flooding, and preserving wildlife, whilst making areas accessible for all kinds of people.
After the completion of the course, graduates get to play a key role in working on flood risk management projects that can protect people and properties, enhance the environment and improve local communities. Degree holders in this field can apply for hydrologist, hydrogeologist, nature conservationist, environmental engineer, local and hazard mitigation project manager, and many others related to this field. These professionals can thus use effective Flood Risk Management strategies that embrace a holistic and integrated approach. In addition to this, there is an increasingly significant demand for qualified staff in the field of flood risk management in establishing training programs not only for the improvement of current knowledge and skills of existing flood risk professionals but also for capacity building through raising future flood risk professionals.
(Emma Payne, International Recruitment Manager, University of Hull)
