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Adaptive behaviour has become a crucial aspect in current flood risk management strategies across the globe, especially in response to potential consequences of flood hazards and facing challenges of climate change. There are several factors which influence the motivation to implement flood risk management strategies such as property-level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures. This paper assesses and evaluates the role of risk communication, which is a vital and overarching driver or barrier in the successful implementation of PLFRA measures. We explored this issue through a bootstrapped Q-methodology with 20 residents in the urban area of Graz, Austria, who have been affected by flood events in the past. Additionally, semi-structured interviews concerning risk communication were conducted with the participants to understand the preferred risk communication modes. The results show that respondents have a high level of perceived self-efficacy (most have implemented PLFRA measures), that there is general distrust in public protection measures and that there is a high understanding of residual risk. Considering the communication modes preferred by a majority of respondents, face-to-face interaction with unbiased experts is more attractive than online applications. Additionally, citizens want to be engaged in decision-making processes concerning public protection measures in their area. This calls for participatory processes in flood risk management which involve mutual knowledge transfer and social learning.
Marie-Sophie Attems; Matthias Schlögl; Thomas Thaler; Magdalena Rauter; Sven Fuchs. Risk communication and adaptive behaviour in flood-prone areas of Austria: A Q-methodology study on opinions of affected homeowners. PLOS ONE 2020, 15, e0233551 .
AMA StyleMarie-Sophie Attems, Matthias Schlögl, Thomas Thaler, Magdalena Rauter, Sven Fuchs. Risk communication and adaptive behaviour in flood-prone areas of Austria: A Q-methodology study on opinions of affected homeowners. PLOS ONE. 2020; 15 (5):e0233551.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarie-Sophie Attems; Matthias Schlögl; Thomas Thaler; Magdalena Rauter; Sven Fuchs. 2020. "Risk communication and adaptive behaviour in flood-prone areas of Austria: A Q-methodology study on opinions of affected homeowners." PLOS ONE 15, no. 5: e0233551.
Hydro-meteorological hazards annually lead to considerable economic losses worldwide. Property level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures have shown to decrease potential damages by floods and other hazards. However, such measures are often implemented inadequately, frequently because of lacking communication between public administration and homeowners. Thus, risk communication systems have been created by multiple actors, ranging from the government to private companies and insurance groups, which have the goal to communicate risks to homeowners and businesses in a tailored manner. Consequently, adaptive behaviour can be triggered by risk communication. This paper conducted a cross-comparison of several risk communication systems which encompassed an output in the shape of a label or guideline, based on semi-structured interviews with relevant experts. One system, the German Hochwasserpass, was focused on in more detail. The results show that risk communication systems should include participatory approaches with experts to trigger adaptive behaviour. However, even in an example including mutual knowledge transfer a gap between knowledge about mitigation measures and actually implementing them was present. Thus, this implies going a step beyond, which ultimately questions the resource efficiency of such risk communication systems on a larger scale.
Marie-Sophie Attems; Thomas Thaler; Karin A.W. Snel; Peter Davids; Thomas Hartmann; Sven Fuchs. The influence of tailored risk communication on individual adaptive behaviour. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 2020, 49, 101618 .
AMA StyleMarie-Sophie Attems, Thomas Thaler, Karin A.W. Snel, Peter Davids, Thomas Hartmann, Sven Fuchs. The influence of tailored risk communication on individual adaptive behaviour. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 2020; 49 ():101618.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarie-Sophie Attems; Thomas Thaler; Karin A.W. Snel; Peter Davids; Thomas Hartmann; Sven Fuchs. 2020. "The influence of tailored risk communication on individual adaptive behaviour." International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 49, no. : 101618.
Hydrometeorological events are highly costly and have strong impacts on the human‐environment system. Effective response requires effective risk management concepts and strategies at individual and watershed level to increase community resilience. Focusing on flood risk and the information associated with it, individual risk behavior in the shape of implementing property‐level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures is often overlooked. For this research, a comprehensive overview of possible PLFRA measures for homeowners in flood risk areas was made, as well as the possible costs and technical feasibility for new and existing buildings. To complement this, insights into risk mitigation behavior are essential due to the ongoing shift to risk‐based and individualized flood risk management, which require a contribution from flood‐prone households to risk reduction. Results show that PLFRA measures differentiate in their effectiveness, cost‐efficiency and technical feasibility, and full protection can never be guaranteed. Considering risk mitigation behavior, literature generally distinguishes between situational factors (such as communication and economic subsidies) and personal factors (such as personal and psychological components influencing individual behavior). This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Science of Water > Water Extremes
Marie‐Sophie Attems; Thomas Thaler; Elisabetta Genovese; Sven Fuchs. Implementation of property‐level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures: Choices and decisions. WIREs Water 2019, 7, 1 .
AMA StyleMarie‐Sophie Attems, Thomas Thaler, Elisabetta Genovese, Sven Fuchs. Implementation of property‐level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures: Choices and decisions. WIREs Water. 2019; 7 (1):1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarie‐Sophie Attems; Thomas Thaler; Elisabetta Genovese; Sven Fuchs. 2019. "Implementation of property‐level flood risk adaptation (PLFRA) measures: Choices and decisions." WIREs Water 7, no. 1: 1.
Environmental change is subject to discussion among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers. As increasing threats to both environment and society are on the agenda, alternative management approaches are gaining importance. This paper focuses on the influence of policy changes on flood risk management. There is evidence that shifts in settlement patterns and population growth might influence the dynamics of flood damage and loss. There is increased pressure to intensify land use, but also to keep free spaces for hazard mitigation and adaptation. In this paper, we focus on new regulative and management approaches associated with the implementation of the European (EU) Floods Directive in Austria. The concept of tipping points, which are defined as turning points for system change, has been applied. Based on semi-structured interviews we evaluate whether or not the implementation of the EU Floods Directive has triggered a system change in flood risk management. Our results show that triggers for change are past flood events and a general need for action rather than the implementation of the directive itself. Changes related to the EU Floods Directive are likely to happen in the long-term; however, these cannot yet be determined. The main challenges are associated with transparency and communication between policymakers and the affected society. So far, the requirements of the first policy cycle of the directive have been fulfilled. The second policy cycle will show further outcomes and potential needs.
Magdalena Rauter; Thomas Thaler; Marie-Sophie Attems; Sven Fuchs. Obligation or Innovation: Can the EU Floods Directive Be Seen as a Tipping Point Towards More Resilient Flood Risk Management? A Case Study from Vorarlberg, Austria. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5505 .
AMA StyleMagdalena Rauter, Thomas Thaler, Marie-Sophie Attems, Sven Fuchs. Obligation or Innovation: Can the EU Floods Directive Be Seen as a Tipping Point Towards More Resilient Flood Risk Management? A Case Study from Vorarlberg, Austria. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (19):5505.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMagdalena Rauter; Thomas Thaler; Marie-Sophie Attems; Sven Fuchs. 2019. "Obligation or Innovation: Can the EU Floods Directive Be Seen as a Tipping Point Towards More Resilient Flood Risk Management? A Case Study from Vorarlberg, Austria." Sustainability 11, no. 19: 5505.
A key challenge of hazard risk management is finding novel ways to respond to future extremes amid increasing vulnerability. Societal transformation in the context of multi-functional protection schemes offers potential in this regard. However, the drivers and barriers of societal transformation in hazard management are poorly understood. Here we interrogate drivers and barriers of societal transformation in natural hazard management through case studies in Austria, France and Ireland focusing on attempts to integrate multi-functional protection schemes in the context of flood and avalanche hazards. We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders connected to proposed transformative strategies in the selected case studies. We find that transformative approaches have been mainly supported by local initiatives instigated by local governments, residents, or NGOs with the aim of complementing conventional hazard management policies. Our analysis shows that local actors and stakeholders often pursue initiatives to address local problems or to seize local opportunities rather than to contribute to a broader societal transformation. According to our findings, key drivers of community-based initiatives with multiple functionality and use include: (i) lack of funding, (ii) lack of legal protection or (iii) lack of space, where classical risk management measures can no longer respond to new circumstances. In contrast, key barriers relate to: (i) lack of local capacities, (ii) lack of local political support and (iii) technological challenges in the implementation phase. These insights support European regions currently working on the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies arising from natural hazards.
Thomas Thaler; Marie-Sophie Attems; Mathieu Bonnefond; Darren Clarke; Amandine Gatien-Tournat; Mathilde Gralepois; Marie Fournier; Conor Murphy; Magdalena Rauter; Maria Papathoma-Köhle; Sylvie Servain; Sven Fuchs. Drivers and barriers of adaptation initiatives – How societal transformation affects natural hazard management and risk mitigation in Europe. Science of The Total Environment 2018, 650, 1073 -1082.
AMA StyleThomas Thaler, Marie-Sophie Attems, Mathieu Bonnefond, Darren Clarke, Amandine Gatien-Tournat, Mathilde Gralepois, Marie Fournier, Conor Murphy, Magdalena Rauter, Maria Papathoma-Köhle, Sylvie Servain, Sven Fuchs. Drivers and barriers of adaptation initiatives – How societal transformation affects natural hazard management and risk mitigation in Europe. Science of The Total Environment. 2018; 650 ():1073-1082.
Chicago/Turabian StyleThomas Thaler; Marie-Sophie Attems; Mathieu Bonnefond; Darren Clarke; Amandine Gatien-Tournat; Mathilde Gralepois; Marie Fournier; Conor Murphy; Magdalena Rauter; Maria Papathoma-Köhle; Sylvie Servain; Sven Fuchs. 2018. "Drivers and barriers of adaptation initiatives – How societal transformation affects natural hazard management and risk mitigation in Europe." Science of The Total Environment 650, no. : 1073-1082.
In Österreich sind in den vergangenen Jahren wiederholt Naturgefahren aufgetreten, die in der Politik, aber auch in der Bevölkerung – verstärkt durch die Meldungen in den Medien – immer wieder als Jahrhundertereignisse bezeichnet wurden. Die hohen volkswirtschaftlichen und privaten Schäden stellen die Frage in den Vordergrund, welche gesellschaftlichen Anpassungsstrategien diese Ereignisse im Lichte des Klimawandels erfordern. Speziell die ökonomischen Verluste und sozialen Beeinträchtigungen durch hydrologische Extremereignisse haben in den letzten Jahren gezeigt, dass traditionelle Schutzstrategien an ihre Grenzen stoßen. Im Forschungsprojekt TRANS-ADAPT untersucht das Institut für Alpine Naturgefahren der Universität für Bodenkultur Wien gemeinsam mit Partnern aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern innovative Lösungen, um besser auf zukünftige Extremereignisse vorbereitet zu sein. Diese vereinen traditionelle bauliche Schutzstrategien mit alternativen Nutzungskonzepten von Schutzsystemen, und umfassen beispielsweise die Freizeitnutzung von Überschwemmungsflächen, die Integration von Schutzdämmen in städtebauliche Nutzungen oder Mehrfachnutzungen von Dämmen durch die Integration von kulturell nutzbarem Raum sowie Einkaufszentren. Losses from extreme hydrological events, such as recently experienced in Europe have focused the attention of policymakers as well as researchers on vulnerability to natural hazards in response to increasing flood risks, individual citizens and local communities are setting-up initiatives for flood risk management that may complement more top-down initiatives by national governments. A major challenge is to represent the complexity of coupled human-environmental systems and particularly the feedback loops between environmental dynamics and human decision-making processes on different scales. The JPI-funded project TRANS-ADAPT focuses on initiatives to flood risk management which are different from the mainstream. Through such distance from the mainstream, community initiatives may facilitate change that is complementary or disruptive to embedded policies. These initiatives are often pursued by local actors and stakeholders, not with the aim of contributing to broader societal transformation but to address local problems or to seize local opportunities.
Thomas Thaler; Marie-Sophie Attems; Sven Fuchs. Neue gesellschaftliche Herausforderungen im Naturgefahrenmanagement: Welche Entwicklungen kommen auf uns zu? Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft 2018, 70, 230 -235.
AMA StyleThomas Thaler, Marie-Sophie Attems, Sven Fuchs. Neue gesellschaftliche Herausforderungen im Naturgefahrenmanagement: Welche Entwicklungen kommen auf uns zu? Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft. 2018; 70 (3-4):230-235.
Chicago/Turabian StyleThomas Thaler; Marie-Sophie Attems; Sven Fuchs. 2018. "Neue gesellschaftliche Herausforderungen im Naturgefahrenmanagement: Welche Entwicklungen kommen auf uns zu?" Österreichische Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft 70, no. 3-4: 230-235.