Flood Response and Crisis Management in Western Europe

Transcription

1 Flood Response and Crisis Management in Western Europe

2 Springer Berlin Heidelberg New York Barcelona Budapest Hong Kong London Milan Paris Santa Clara Singapur Tokyo

3 Uriel Rosenthal, Paul 't Hart (Eds.) Flood Response and Crisis Management in Western Europe A Comparative Analysis With 16 Figures and 8 Tables Springer

4 Editors: Professor Dr. Uriel Rosenthal Dr. Paul 't Hart Crisis Research Centre Leiden University P.O. Box RB Leiden The Netherlands Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Flood response and crisis management in Western Europe: a comparative analysis I Uriel Rosenthal, Paul 't Hart, eds. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN-13: e-isbn-13: : / Floods--Europe, Western--Case studies. 2. Disaster relief--europe, Western--Case studies. 3. Emergency management--europe, Western--Case studies. 4. Crisis management in government- Europe, Western--Case studies. I. Rosenthal, Uriel, II. Hart, Paul 't. HV609.F '938'094-dc CIP This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilm or in other ways, and storage in data banks. Duplication of this publication or parts thereof is permitted only under the provisions of the German Copyright Law of September 9, 1965, in its current version, and permission for use must always be obtained from Springer-Verlag. Violations are liable for prosecution act under German Copyright Law. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 1998 Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1998 The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. Typesetting: By Thea H. M. de Beer, Leiden / The Netherlands Cover: Design & Production, Heidelberg, source of cover figure: THW -Hilberath SPIN: / Printed on acid-free paper

5 PREFACE Throughout the last 20 years, the study of disasters has developed into a wellrespected body of know ledge in the social sciences. Disaster research has found its way to several disciplines and it has been remarkably receptive to multiand interdisciplinary impulses. Many disaster studies show how important and stimulating it is to explore events and developments which reach beyond the usual business of the social and political fabric. There. is quite a difference between the daily routines of social and political life, and the upheaval, stress, and shock of a life-threatening danger which may fall upon society. Even when the danger does not materialize to the fullest and society gets off with a fright, the population as well as the authorities may experience demanding situations and critical moments which ask for an effective and quick response. Although the study of disasters is in steady progress, there still remains a lot to be done. One of the blind spots in disaster research continues to be crossnational knowledge of disasters and disaster management. Certainly, during the last decade a number of encouraging efforts have been made to promote a more international perspective in disaster management. But as disasters and crises will increasingly feature transnational and even global characteristics, in that sense disaster and crisis research are lagging behind. Students of disasters and crises cannot limit themselves to typically domestic and local events. They should indeed cross the borders and engage in cross-national studies which fit in with the transnational dimensions of contemporary and future disasters and crises. This study of flood response and crisis management in four Western European countries tries to appreciate that agenda. In away, in this context it appears self-evident to examine disaster and crisis management in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. In 1993 and 1995, all four countries suffered major inundations mostly caused by riverine floods which, of course, did not respect the administrative and political borders between them. A study of this kind of disaster must be cross-national. It must bring to the fore the similarities and differences in flood management between the countries involved. And it must solicit lessons for international cooperation in disaster warning and disaster response.

6 VI Flood response and crisis management in Western Europe This opportunity for cross-national disaster research has been grasped by researchers from the four countries. They have bridged the usual differences in language - French, German and Dutch - and they have accommodated the ingrained differences in scholarly perspective which are so typical of the European academic scene. The final product reflects the sustained and painstaking efforts on the part of the international experts to provide a truly comparative perspective to the 1993 and 1995 flood response and crisis management in these four Western European countries. For the years to come, it is hoped that this book may set the agenda for more comparative studies. The floods in Central and Eastern Europe have revealed the vulnerability of the infastructures of the public works. It seems to be opportune to exchange expertise about disaster warning, response and relief between the various parts of Europe. This study was sponsored by the Directorate-General for Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection of the European Commission; we have welcomed the encouragement and open-mindedness of the Directorate-General. The study has benefited considerably from the exchange of views at flood management seminars held in Florival (Belgium), Rome, Lisbon, and London in 1996 and The coordinating group at the Crisis Research Center of Leiden University is grateful to its collaborators in France, Belgium, and Germany. The truly comparative feel of this book is largely due to their willingness to cross national borders. Crisis Research Center Leiden University Uriel Rosenthal Paul 't Hart

7 CONTENTS List of figures and tables Xl Chapter 1 Flood response and disaster management: a comparative perspective Uriel Rosenthal, Paul 't Hart and Michel Bezuyen 1 The 1993 and 1995 floods in Western Europe 2 Risk communication and warning 3 The organization of disaster response 4 Recovery and damage compensation 5 Study design Notes Chapter 2 Flood management in France Claude Gilbert and Cecile Gouy 1 Introduction 2 Warning process and risk information 3 Disaster response 4 Recovery and damage compensation 5 Concluding observations Notes

8 VIII Flood response and crisis management in Western Europe Chapter 3 Flood management in Belgium Hugo van Hassel and Leen van Lindt 1 Introduction 57 2 The 1993 and 1995 riverine floods: an overview of events 59 3 Disaster management in Belgium 61 4 Risk communication 69 5 Disaster 'response 81 6 Recovery and damage compensation 92 Notes 99 Chapter 4 Flood management in the Netherlands Uriel Rosenthal, Menno van Duin, Michel Bezuyen, Marie-Louise de Vreeze-VerhoeJ and Paul 't Hart 1 Introduction The 1993 and 1995 riverine floods: an overview of events Risk communication Disaster response Damage compensation 143 Notes 150 Chapter 5 Flood management in Germany Wolf R Dombrowsky and Lutz Ohlendieck 1 Introduction The 1993 and 1995 riverine floods: an overview of events Water management and disaster response in Germany Risk communication Disaster response Recovery and compensation 182 Notes 186

9 Contents IX Chapter 6 Flood response dynamics: Local resilience and administrative flexibility Uriel Rosenthal, Michel Bezuyen, Menno van Duin and Paul 't Hart 1 Introduction: a constrained comparison Risk communication: flood forecasting and warning The organization and implementation of disaster response Managing evacuations The politics of damage compensation Organizational learning 213 Notes 216 Appendix 1 Sources 219 Appendix 2 Floods in Western Europe 231 List of contributors 235

10 LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figures 2.1 The organization of disaster management in France Organization of the warning process in France The 1993 floods in Belgium The 1995 floods in Belgium The structure of disaster planning in Belgium Emergency response during the 1993 and 1995 floods The Dutch part of the Meuse river basin The 1995 floods: stricken areas The organization of emergency management at the local level Intergovernmental relations during major disasters Flood response organization in the city of Koblenz Flood response organization in the city of Cologne at moderate water levels Flood response organization in the city of Cologne at high water levels 178 Tables 3.1 The organization of emergency management in Belgium Highest water level of the river Meuse in Highest water level of the river Meuse in Inter-regional time lags in warning and response start-up Timing of warnings: citizens' evaluations Primary source of information in Limburg 1993 and Primary source of information in Gelderland Quality of municipal information provision Types of evacuations in 1993 and A typology of flood damages Typology of compensation systems 210