Flood Response and Crisis Management in Western Europe

Flood Response and Crisis Management in Western Europe

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

Editors: Professor Dr. Uriel Rosenthal Dr. Paul 't Hart Crisis Research Centre Leiden University P.O. Box 9555 2300 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: 978-3-642-71999-8 e-isbn-13: 978-3-642-71997-4 001: 10.1 007/978-3-642-71997-4 1. 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, 1945. II. Hart, Paul 't. HV609.F54 1998 363.34'938'094-dc21 97-43394CIP 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: 10556215 32/3020-543210 -Printed on acid-free paper

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.

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 1996-1997 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 1997. 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

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 1 3 4 9 11 12 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 15 17 27 40 51 54

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 103 2 The 1993 and 1995 riverine floods: an overview of events 104 3 Risk communication 113 4 Disaster response 129 5 Damage compensation 143 Notes 150 Chapter 5 Flood management in Germany Wolf R Dombrowsky and Lutz Ohlendieck 1 Introduction 153 2 The 1993 and 1995 riverine floods: an overview of events 154 3 Water management and disaster response in Germany 157 4 Risk communication 162 5 Disaster response 168 6 Recovery and compensation 182 Notes 186

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 189 2 Risk communication: flood forecasting and warning 190 3 The organization and implementation of disaster response 193 4 Managing evacuations 201 5 The politics of damage compensation 207 6 Organizational learning 213 Notes 216 Appendix 1 Sources 219 Appendix 2 Floods in Western Europe 231 List of contributors 235

LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figures 2.1 The organization of disaster management in France 16 2.2 Organization of the warning process in France 19 3.1 The 1993 floods in Belgium 58 3.2 The 1995 floods in Belgium 60 3.3 The structure of disaster planning in Belgium 62 3.4 Emergency response during the 1993 and 1995 floods 82 4.1 The Dutch part of the Meuse river basin 107 4.2 The 1995 floods: stricken areas 109 4.3 The organization of emergency management at the local level 114 4.4 Intergovernmental relations during major disasters 115 5.1 Flood response organization in the city of Koblenz 170 5.2 Flood response organization in the city of Cologne at moderate water levels 176 5.3 Flood response organization in the city of Cologne at high water levels 178 Tables 3.1 The organization of emergency management in Belgium 65 4.1 Highest water level of the river Meuse in 1993 106 4.2 Highest water level of the river Meuse in 1995 112 4.3 Inter-regional time lags in warning and response start-up 119 4.4 Timing of warnings: citizens' evaluations 124 4.5 Primary source of information in Limburg 1993 and 1995 125 4.6 Primary source of information in Gelderland 1995 126 4.7 Quality of municipal information provision 127 6.1 Types of evacuations in 1993 and 1995 203 6.2 A typology of flood damages 208 6.3 Typology of compensation systems 210