LAST winter’s floods on the rivers of central Europe were among the worst since the Middle Ages, and as winter storms return, the spectre of floods is returning too. Just weeks ago, the river Rhône in south-east France burst its banks, driving 15,000 people from their homes, and worse could be on the way. So now that the dams and dykes have been found wanting yet again, what next for the crowded flood plains of Europe? And what lessons does its plight hold for the rest of the world?
Perhaps it is time for a new response to…
