The flood events in 2002 demonstrated in a most dramatic way that further improvements in preventive flood protection remain necessary in many areas. As well as the numerous measures which are the responsibility of water management, agriculture and forestry, especially spatial and building planning are required to regularly review and improve their approach and to implement appropriate strategies, plans and measures.

In order to achieve this, transnational cooperation must be strengthened because the causes of damage occurring along the basins of rivers which cross national borders involve international interconnections. Therefore, this transnational INTERREG III B Project was developed in order to reach the following targets:

• The development and agreement of a joint strategy on spatial planning in the Elbe catchment area.
• Provision of data and information on risk potentials, necessary measures, effects of measures, steps towards their realisation (hazard maps, retention areas, land use etc.).
• Examination and improvement of spatial planning instruments in the states and countries within the Elbe catchment area regarding preventive flood management by spatial planning.
• Realisation of pilot projects: exemplary extended development of selected regional plans and development plans by the innovative integration of the of flood protection (risk, land use, settlement development etc.).