Flood insurance 87
them. This necessitates forms of cooperation between the federal and state
levels of government (Isoard 2011; Vetter et al. 2017, p. 325).
From this point of view, the governance of flood hazards entails coordination and cooperation between various actors in order to provide
information, assistance, and resources to impacted communities. The
German strategy for civil protection (Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz
und Katastrophenhilfe 2010) emphasises preparedness and prevention and
shared federal-state responsibilities during the response phase. Its guiding
principle is subsidiarity, while relying heavily on the support of volunteer
organisations (Marx et al. 2017, pp. 13–14). The governance of flood hazards in Germany takes place in the context of governmental crisis response
(Krisenbewältigung). In the case of a disaster that was triggered by a natural
hazard, response is a state responsibility and entails ‘any civilian measure
taken to protect the population and its livelihood from the impact of […]
disasters […] as well as any measure taken to prevent, mitigate the impact of
and cope with these events’ (Marx et al. 2017, pp. 14–15).
Urban planning can influence the outcome of a flood disaster through
related mitigation or adaptation measures. In particular, spatial and
regional planning in Germany is required by law to meet sustainable development goals. This includes harmonising land uses, which is interpreted as
a mandate for risk management tasks aimed at planning for and maintaining existing land uses in relation to spatially relevant risks. In this context,
risk communication and participation are necessary to achieve a consensus
on what constitutes an acceptable risk and which measures are suitable to
reduce it. Informal planning procedures play an important role to enable
participation, and, e.g., flood maps (as required by EU regulations) serve to
communicate the related risks. Importantly, response, recovery, and reconstruction are not included within this scope, and the specification of land
uses remains within the purview of development planning (Bauleitplanung)
(Bundesinstitut für Bau -, Stadt- und Raumforschung 2015).
In Germany, climate change is a distinct policy field and the focus of a
national strategy that acknowledges the influence of climate change on the
increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards such as floods (StMUV
2017; UNHSP 2017). The 2008 German Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
and the 2011 Action Plan Adaptation illustrate this fact (Government of the
Federal Republic of Germany 2008a; Government of the Federal Republic
of Germany 2011). Nevertheless, adaptation to climate change and reduction of disaster risk still comprise separate structures, which leads to confusion and disconnects on municipal levels (Pauleit & Wamsler 2016, p.77).
Due to increasingly intense and frequent flood hazards, certain land uses
can become unsustainable, and relocation or resettlement (e.g. managed
retreat) can become necessary. In this case, adaptation is supposed to take
place before a disaster occurs or climate change impacts settlements and
communities. Smaller communities may lack organisational capacities to
achieve this, and compartmentalisation with regards to specific hazards
them. This necessitates forms of cooperation between the federal and state
levels of government (Isoard 2011; Vetter et al. 2017, p. 325).
From this point of view, the governance of flood hazards entails coordination and cooperation between various actors in order to provide
information, assistance, and resources to impacted communities. The
German strategy for civil protection (Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz
und Katastrophenhilfe 2010) emphasises preparedness and prevention and
shared federal-state responsibilities during the response phase. Its guiding
principle is subsidiarity, while relying heavily on the support of volunteer
organisations (Marx et al. 2017, pp. 13–14). The governance of flood hazards in Germany takes place in the context of governmental crisis response
(Krisenbewältigung). In the case of a disaster that was triggered by a natural
hazard, response is a state responsibility and entails ‘any civilian measure
taken to protect the population and its livelihood from the impact of […]
disasters […] as well as any measure taken to prevent, mitigate the impact of
and cope with these events’ (Marx et al. 2017, pp. 14–15).
Urban planning can influence the outcome of a flood disaster through
related mitigation or adaptation measures. In particular, spatial and
regional planning in Germany is required by law to meet sustainable development goals. This includes harmonising land uses, which is interpreted as
a mandate for risk management tasks aimed at planning for and maintaining existing land uses in relation to spatially relevant risks. In this context,
risk communication and participation are necessary to achieve a consensus
on what constitutes an acceptable risk and which measures are suitable to
reduce it. Informal planning procedures play an important role to enable
participation, and, e.g., flood maps (as required by EU regulations) serve to
communicate the related risks. Importantly, response, recovery, and reconstruction are not included within this scope, and the specification of land
uses remains within the purview of development planning (Bauleitplanung)
(Bundesinstitut für Bau -, Stadt- und Raumforschung 2015).
In Germany, climate change is a distinct policy field and the focus of a
national strategy that acknowledges the influence of climate change on the
increasing frequency and intensity of natural hazards such as floods (StMUV
2017; UNHSP 2017). The 2008 German Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
and the 2011 Action Plan Adaptation illustrate this fact (Government of the
Federal Republic of Germany 2008a; Government of the Federal Republic
of Germany 2011). Nevertheless, adaptation to climate change and reduction of disaster risk still comprise separate structures, which leads to confusion and disconnects on municipal levels (Pauleit & Wamsler 2016, p.77).
Due to increasingly intense and frequent flood hazards, certain land uses
can become unsustainable, and relocation or resettlement (e.g. managed
retreat) can become necessary. In this case, adaptation is supposed to take
place before a disaster occurs or climate change impacts settlements and
communities. Smaller communities may lack organisational capacities to
achieve this, and compartmentalisation with regards to specific hazards