Open AccessBuilding Resilience After Climate-Related Extreme Events: Lessons Learned from Extreme Precipitation in Schwäbisch Gmünd
Author(s) -
Britta V. Weißer,
Ali Jamshed,
Jörn Birkmann,
Joanna M. McMillan
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of extreme events
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2382-6339
pISSN - 2345-7376
DOI - 10.1142/s2345737620500104
Subject(s) - damages , preparedness , flooding (psychology) , environmental planning , resilience (materials science) , environmental resource management , hazard , pluvial , business , geography , environmental science , political science , psychology , chemistry , physics , oceanography , organic chemistry , geology , law , psychotherapist , thermodynamics
In 2016, heavy precipitation events in Southern Germany demonstrated that pluvial flooding can cause serious damages, not just in large cities but also in small and medium-sized cities. Hazard-oriented disaster management approaches to better address such spatially ubiquitous extreme events are already being developed. However, integrated strategies to reduce risk and to promote climate-resilient development pathways through both private precautionary measures and integrated urban planning are still underdeveloped. Considering the uncertainties associated with heavy precipitation, analyzing and understanding damages, strengthening people’s preparedness and improving preventative measures are central components of resilience building. This paper complements existing empirical studies on households’ preparedness and provides further insight into how resilience to flooding from heavy precipitation in cities can be strengthened. We do this by analyzing the damages caused by one particular heavy precipitation event, the preparedness of people in the affected city and their perceptions of responsibilities for improving precautionary measures. This paper presents the results from a household survey with a total of 1,128 completed questionnaires which was carried out in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany. The findings of the household survey illustrate the variety of damages caused by the heavy precipitation event and reveal important differences between households who experienced damages from pluvial flooding and those who did not. Lastly, findings of people’s perception about who is responsible for improved precautions offer interesting insights into tools that might help to enhance resilience building. Finally, the paper formulates recommendations for an improved assessment of resilience-building processes, individual capacities and planning tools to build climate resilience to extreme precipitation events.