Water

Benefits estimation

In 2003 the draft 'Multi-coloured Manual', written for Defra by the Flood Hazard Research Centre (FHRC) at Middlesex University, was issued to the flood and coastal erosion risk management operating authorities for consultation. The manual was an update and improvement of the previous 'Blue', 'Red' and 'Yellow' Middlesex University manuals and for the first time brought together information and assistance on calculating the benefits of flood alleviation, coast protection and sea defence into one book.

This manual has now been updated and finalised and published in two parts:

  1. The Benefits of Flood and Coastal Risk Management: A Handbook of Assessment Techniques. This is intended to be a stand-alone "How to do it" guide to assessing the benefits of flood and coastal erosion risk management. The Handbook aims to provide a step-by-step approach to the techniques and information needed to undertake evaluation of the benefits for most straightforward risk management projects (probably 75-80% of all cases) and to offer a greater understanding of the principle that for most cases appraisal effort should be proportionate to the scale and scope of the decisions required.
  2. The Handbook should be sufficient to guide economic appraisal with the minimum of effort for the majority of flood and coastal erosion risk management projects. However, assessments are not always straightforward and and the Handbook is supplemented by a much more extensive Manual, colloquially termed the Multi-coloured Manual.

The Handbook and Manual are key outputs from our research with the FHRC under the policy development theme of the joint Defra and Environment Agency Research and Development programme. The final text is the result of collaboration between the FHRC, Defra, the Environment Agency and other stakeholders including local authorities. We recommend use of the Handbook and Manual.

Baseline date

The standard baseline date for use with the new data is April 2005.

Purchasing the manual and handbook

Copies of the Handbook and Manual together can be purchased from FHRC (020 8411 5359) at a price of £120 (including post and packaging).

Page last modified: 30 June 2007
Page published: 18 April 2006

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs