Floods - Expert: Communication deficit in flood prevention
According to experts, the current flood situation highlights communication deficits in flood protection in Germany. "It has been known for at least 15 years that such large-scale flooding can occur," said Torsten Schlurmann, head of the Ludwig Franzius Institute of Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering at Leibniz University Hannover, to the German Press Agency. "The information is all there, but we have a communication problem in flood prevention." Authorities, scientists and politicians have failed to communicate better about flood risks.
Other countries, such as the Netherlands, are in a better position, said Schlurmann. There, the population is more aware of flood risks and is more advanced in flood prevention and water retention in the area, as the pressure to act is also greater due to the low-lying coastal areas.
Since 2007, the EU 's Flood Risk Management Directive has required member states to identify and assess flood hazards and thus recognizable flood risks, for example along rivers, said the Professor of Hydraulic and Coastal Engineering. Since then, EU countries have had to calculate such hazards, present them in hazard and risk maps and communicate them to the public. Such maps are publicly available.
"We have failed to take a close look at these warning maps, discuss them and use them to formulate priority protection goals," said Schlurmann. "If you look at such hazard maps, for example for the municipality of Lilienthal near Bremen, it is striking how similar these simulations look in comparison to today's crisis situation. The extensive flooding can be read almost one-to-one."
The special thing about the current situation is that there are large-scale floods on many rivers and locations at the same time, said Schlurmann. The situation lasted for days as the water could hardly drain away. "We will experience such flood events more frequently in the coming decades due to climate change - unfortunately," said the scientist.
Profile of Prof. Torsten Schlurmann on the institute's website
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- In response to the current flood situation in Germany, there's been a highlighted need for improved communication in flood protection, as mentioned by Torsten Schlurmann from the Ludwig Franzius Institute.
- According to Professor Schlurmann, countries like the Netherlands have effectively addressed flood risks and prevention due to their awareness and advanced systems for flood protection and water retention.
- Since 2007, the EU's Flood Risk Management Directive has mandated member states to identify and assess flood hazards, and communicate these risks to the public.
- Schlurmann criticizes the failure of authorities, scientists, and politicians to engage with these warning maps and use them to set priority protection goals, like in Lilienthal near Bremen.
- The current flood scenario is unique as it features widespread flooding on various rivers and locations simultaneously, causing prolonged problems due to the slow drainage of water.
- As climate change progresses, experts like Schurmann predict an increase in such large-scale flood events in the coming decades.
- The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz University of Hanover houses Torsten Schlurmann's profession as the head of the Ludwig Franzius Institute, contributing to the field of hydraulic, estuarine, and coastal engineering in Germany.
- The Netherlands, being a country with low-lying coastal areas, demonstrates advanced flood prevention and water retention systems to counter flood risks efficiently.
Source: www.stern.de
