18 September 2014: The 6th International Conference on Flood Management (ICFM6) called for policies and measures to enhance resilience to natural hazards globally, and for the continuation of the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA), saying the Framework has been effective in reducing flood risks.

ICFM6 took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 16-18 September 2014, under the theme ‘Floods in a Changing Environment.’ The conference, organized by the Brazilian Water Resources Association (ABRH) and Acquacon Consultoria, drew around 250 participants from 30 countries.

ICFM6 acknowledged the increased risk of floods due to urbanization, economic growth, population growth, migration and climate variability, noting that large capital investments may be necessary to improve flood risk management.

At the close of the meeting, participants issued a draft declaration recommending a “living with floods” approach that would: provide information through early warning systems, risk mapping, vulnerability indices, and vulnerability atlases; build large-scale defenses, such as embankments and retention structures; and pay increased attention to land-use planning, insurance and emergency response in the context of flood risk.

Participants agreed to convene ICFM7 in 2017 in Leeds, UK, under the theme ‘Resilience to Global Changes – Expecting the Unexpected.’ [ICFM6 Website] [ICFM6 Statement]