HoWas2021 - Governance and communication in the event of the flood crisis in July 2021
Description and goals
The research project „HoWas2021“ has the goal to develop guidance for an improved crisis management and communication in the event of flooding. This ranges from the prediction of hazards, warnings and alerting to operation and the accomplishment of damage. These findings from the project on communication and action in the event of a crisis are to be processed in such a way that they can be transferred to other regions.
Key Data
Goal: Evaluate the actions of civil protection actors and crisis communication both at the level of the authorities and with the affected population.
Method: Analysis of meteorological, hydrological and hydraulic data. Analysis of flood marks and social media information On-site inspections. Processing of existing knowledge Interviews with different actors.
Duration: December 2021 - May 2023
Partner: 6
Associated Partner: 7
The task of the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management (IWW Aachen) in the project is a water related processing of the event on the basis of available data in the affected catchment areas of Ahr, Erft, Rur, Inde and Vicht. The data consists of precipitation, gauge, and reservoir data, as well as flood marks, floodplains, and aerial photographs. A timeline and the spatial development of the event will be created based on the elaborated data and by close cooperation with national and regional government institutes to derive conclusions and recommendations for future flooding events.
Partners and funding
Following partners are participating in the research project:
- Bundesamt für Bevölkerungsschutz und Katastrophenhilfe (BBK)
- Katastrophenforschungsstelle des Instituts für Sozial- und Kulturanthropologie (KFS), Freie Universität Berlin
- Institut für Umweltwissenschaften und Geographie (IUG), Universität Potsdam
- Deutsche Universität für Verwaltungswissenschaften (DUV), Speyer
- Institut für Medienforschung (IfM), Universität Siegen
- Institut für Wasserbau und Wasserwirtschaft (IWW), RWTH Aachen
Following associated partners are participating in the research project:
- Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD)
- Technisches Hilfswerk (THW)
- Landesamt für Umwelt Rheinland-Pfalz (LfU)
- Landesamt für Natur, Umwelt und Verbraucherschutz Nordrhein-Westfalen (LANUV)
- Wasserverband Eifel-Rur (WVER)
- Emschergenossenschaft / Lippeverband
- Stadt Erftstadt
The joint research project HoWas2021 is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with the funding indicator 13N16226 in the framework program “research for civil safety”.