Enabling and Integrating Flood Risk Reduction in Coastal Community Work

Abstract:

In the Danish inter- and transdisciplinary research project on Coastal Hazards and Risk Reduction, COHERENT (2018-2020), universities, industry, and national and local authorities (e.g. municipalities, harbor authorities, utilities, emergency management) have collaborated over the past three year to identify and reduce risks and to tailor pathways to adapt to current and future flood-related impacts from nature extremes and climate change in selected coastal communities. The work particularly emphasizes on raising awareness and building capacity locally and e.g. includes statistical analyses on ocean extremes and dynamic modeling of a suite of flood scenarios from the ocean, precipitation and river run-off, groundwater, and combinations of these together with society-oriented activities and efforts. In combination with the development of damage functions, interactive and digital hazard, vulnerability and risk maps have been produced and tailored for common use by local authorities and decision-makers. The paper presents results of the research work in one of the communities, the town and municipality of Aabenraa, and discusses outcomes and experiences on how to develop a structure where local level authorities coherently work together to develop a strategy to deal with future floods. Whereas protection levels and emergency management plans today only deal with “normal” extremes, a strategy has been developed on how to include very rare events ahead. Besides potential future structural designs to reduce risks, this includes information and dissemination to the public about emergency procedures and the citizens’ own responsibilities in case of an emergency. Above all, the research has revealed that common approaches to deal with future natural hazards do take time to reach but are very much needed among local stakeholders in order to enable sound adaptation and mitigation measures.