We will have presentations and discussions about ongoing efforts in the US (mostly California) and the EU (mostly France) to assess these risks. Participants will include Jonathan Schwartz (BAER Program Coordinator Los Padres National Forest) and Robert Lewin (director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, recently retired, who lead the emergency management operation during the 2018 Montecito debris flow event), and Jeremy Lancaster (to be confirmed) (California Department of Conservation).

With funding from the French-Berkeley-Fund, we are conducting this interdisciplinary research project on flood risk management, with focus on California and southern France, both regions affected by flash floods. We explore opportunities to better understand flood risk and improve its management by looking at the problem from multiple disciplines and through a comparative study of practices in the US and France. In particular we aim to develop new approaches to assess and manage flash-flood after wildfires through improved understanding of the physical and social factors that affect the occurrence and perception of these events.

CONTACT

Anna Serra-Llobet

Institute of International Studies (IIS)

University of California, Berkeley