Flood management to prevent flooding damages in western Black Sea region in Turkey

River flooding is the most frequently experienced natural hazard all over the World. The effects of flooding are mainly related to the function of the intensity and distribution of precipitation, and the rate of filtration of water into the soil and rock, vegetation and topography. Flood management is considered as one of the basic strategies that can reduce flood damages and in this context, flood protection planning should consider the full range of hazard mitigation activities. The realistic solution to reduce flood damages involves a combination of floodplain regulation and engineering approaches. In 1998, there was a major flooding in Zonguldak Bartin region located on north of Turkey. Due to this catastrophic flooding, people lost their live and a number of engineering structures built on the river and surrounding area were totally destroyed or heavily damaged. In this study, some solution methods for the region have been suggested and presented.