Updating and modernising the `yellow, blue and red manuals` for appraising coastal defence and flood alleviation works

This project updated the standard manuals from the Flood Hazard Research Centre with new information to support better decisions about investing in flood defences.

From:
Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
12 February 2021
Category:
Policy, governance and funding
Topics:
Appraisal strategy, Decision making with uncertainty, Flood risk assessment, Flood risk governance, Investment, Strategy and planning
Project status:
Completed
Project code:
FD1705
Date of completion:
31 October 2002

Documents

External link: the multi coloured manual

Details

This project reviewed and updated the existing, highly respected manuals used for assessing the benefits of flood and coastal risk management - the Red, Blue and Yellow Manuals.

These manuals were developed in collaboration with the Flood Hazard Research Centre at Middlesex University. They’ve since been replaced by the ‘Multi-Coloured Manual’ which brings together the information from all three separate manuals into one straightforward and up to date guide to economic appraisal.

This review took into account:

  • recent user experiences
  • improvements to databases
  • design methods based on probabilities of certain factors happening
  • the ways of assessing defences

The aim was to improve the way in which the costs and benefits of projects are assessed. This helped users make better decisions about where to invest funds in defences.

The programme started in 2000 and was completed in 2002, at a cost of £239,800.

Published 12 February 2021