31 research outputs found
Adaptation to flood risk: Results of international paired flood event studies
As flood impacts are increasing in large parts of the world, understanding the primary drivers
of changes in risk is essential for effective adaptation. To gain more knowledge on the basis of empirical
case studies, we analyze eight paired floods, that is, consecutive flood events that occurred in the same
region, with the second flood causing significantly lower damage. These success stories of risk reduction
were selected across different socioeconomic and hydro-climatic contexts. The potential of societies to
adapt is uncovered by describing triggered societal changes, as well as formal measures and spontaneous
processes that reduced flood risk. This novel approach has the potential to build the basis for an
international data collection and analysis effort to better understand and attribute changes in risk due to
hydrological extremes in the framework of the IAHSs Panta Rhei initiative. Across all case studies, we find
that lower damage caused by the second event was mainly due to significant reductions in vulnerability,
for example, via raised risk awareness, preparedness, and improvements of organizational emergency
management. Thus, vulnerability reduction plays an essential role for successful adaptation. Our work
shows that there is a high potential to adapt, but there remains the challenge to stimulate measures that
reduce vulnerability and risk in periods in which extreme events do not occur