Towards a Risk Governance Culture in Flood Policy—Findings from the Implementation of the “Floods Directive” in Germany

Abstract

Abstract:The European Directive on the Assessment and Management of Flood Risks is likely to cause changes to flood policy in Germany and other member states. With its risk governance approach, it introduces a holistic and catchment-oriented flood risk management and tries to overcome shortcomings of the past, such as the event-driven construction of mainly structural measures. However, there is leeway for interpretation in implementing the directive. The present paper gives an overview on the implementation of the floods directive in Germany and is divided into two qualitative empirical case studies. Case Study I investigates the level of acceptance of the floods directive among decision-makers in the German part of the Rhine river basin. Findings show that the federal states respond differently to the impulse given by the floods directive. Whereas some decision-makers opt for a pro-forma implementation, others take it as a starting point to systematically improve their flood policy. Case Study II presents recommendations for a successful implementation of flood risk management plans that have been developed within a project for the water authority in Bavaria and might be interesting for other federal/member states. For a participation of the interested parties on the level of shared decision-making, the planning process has to work on sub-management-plan level (15-20 communities). The water resources authority has to adopt a multi-faceted role (expert, responsible or interested party depending on the discussed topics).

Review of the flood risk management system in Germany after the major flood in 2013

“…However, these guidelines (LAWA 1995) were not sufficiently reflected in the German water legislation. After the flood in 2002, many activities were launched on administrative and legislative levels (e.g., DKKV 2003, Heintz et al 2012. Particularly, the German Flood Protection Act of 2005 (Artikelgesetz zur Verbesserung des vorbeugenden Hochwasserschutzes) and the European Floods Directive (2007/60/EC; EC 2007) introduced important changes in the German Federal Water Act (Wasserhaushaltsgesetz).…”

Zielgruppenspezifische Darstellung von Hochwassergefahren und -risiko

“…Während der Rahmen durch die Vorgaben der HWRL vorgegeben ist, ist der Spielraum bei der Gestaltung und Darstellung der Hochwassergefahrenund Risikokarten den einzelnen Mitgliedstaaten überlassen (Heintz et al 2012). Mögliche Vorgehensweisen zur Erstellung der Karten wurden im Rahmen von Workshops der Mitgliedstaaten bereits vor der Erlassung der HWRL diskutiert (EXIMAP 2007).…”

Recurrent Governance Challenges in the Implementation and Alignment of Flood Risk Management Strategies: a Review

“…Mitigation measures tend to be informal and non-binding. Local governments tend to avoid the implementation of such measures (Neuvel 2009;Heintz et al 2012). Mainstreaming flood management in future urban planning by adjusting national building codes (Spence 2004) has often been pinpointed as problematic (Fratini et al 2012;Hartmann and Driessen 2013;Uittenbroek et al 2014).…”