Reducing the Vulnerability of Societies to Water Related Risks at the Basin Scale (Proceedings of the third International Symposium on Integrated Water Resources Management, Bochum, Germany, September 2006). IAHS Publ. 317, 2007, 347–353.

Flood vulnerability and preparedness: model approach to mitigate the risk for local communities

DAGMAR HAASE & CARSTEN BOHN

Department of Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ – Centre for Environmental Research Leipzig-Halle, Germany

dagmar.haase@ufz.de

Abstract This paper presents an approach, model components and methodol­ogies to conceptualise and assess local flood vulnerability. In doing so, it is the major objective to increase the adaptive capacity of local communities against floods. Empirical evidence is taken from the Mulde River, Germany, and will be transferred to the transboundary Tisza River (Hungary, Ukraine). The conceptual model presented in the paper incorporates variables such as preparedness or risk awareness based on improved information on increasing flood frequency or discharge to demonstrate how to structure and mobilise autochthon capacities of households and communities to cope with floods. For the quantification of the causal-feedback-loops we use empiric data.

Key words adaptive capacity; flood preparedness mental and concept models; transboundary river basin management; vulnerability