Floods are a pressing environmental hazard, causing loss of lives, economic losses, and livelihood impacts around the globe. Recent flood events, such as the devastating floods that hit several European countries including Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands in July 2021, have revealed significant gaps in flood risk understanding, awareness, and communication, as well as in flood resilience. As climate change continues to spiral, the risk of disastrous floods is increasing across the globe.
Commemorating the anniversary of these devastating floods, United Nations University (UNU) institutes in Germany (UNU-EHS), Belgium (UNU-CRIS) and the Netherlands (UNU-MERIT) have organised the Flood Knowledge Summit 2022 – From Risks to Resilience in Maastricht, Netherlands. The Summit connected different actors, including authorities, researchers, and civil society representatives to share experiences, engage in dialogue and facilitate learning one year after these devastating floods.
Teresa M. Deubelli-Hwang (IIASA), Viktor Rözer (LSE) and Michael Szönyi (Zurich Insurance) from the Flood Resilience Alliance, where IIASA’s Systemic Risk and Resilience and Novel Data Ecosystems for Sustainability Groups have been longstanding collaborators, joined the Summit to present findings from the recent Post-Event Review Capability (PERC) carried out on the floods from low-pressure event Bernd in Belgium, Germany, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. Based on interviews with stakeholders across the region, the PERC study found that change is urgently needed – how we think and implement flood risk management and civil protection. Looking backwards and forward, the PERC report provides both key insights and concrete recommendations drawn from the devastating flood event to ensure that opportunities to build resilience are used, both in the affected regions and in regions that are looking to learn from experiences made.
The PERC was carried out by researchers from Zurich Insurance, the London School of Economics, IIASA’s Systemic Risk and Resilience Group, the International Federation of the Red Cross and ISET-International.
Read more about the PERC Flood event review “Bernd” at: https://floodresilience.net/resources/item/perc-flood-event-review-bernd/
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