Insights from a recent study examining the German 2021 flood response show that critical infrastructures, their interdependencies and collaborative processes need a stronger consideration in preparedness planning.
The research article ‘Collaboration is key: Exploring the 2021 flood response for critical infrastructures in Germany‘ was published on 1 June 2023 by the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction and written by UNU-EHS researchers Florence Nick, Nathalie Sänger, Sophie van der Heijden and Simone Sandholz.
Key findings:
- The German 2021 flood response lacked many enabling factors and was not need-based.
- Lacking account for interactions of contextual, legal, physical, human, social and organizational factors worsened impacts.
- Organizational factors including collaboration and coordination within and across institutions were central.
- Critical infrastructures and collaborative processes need stronger consideration in preparedness planning.
Overview of factor groups and factors governing collaborative processes in disaster response. Source: the above-mentioned research paper. [Click to expand.]
Read the full article here.
