News
New research leads to the inclusion of vulnerable groups in flood risk assessments
News
New research leads to the inclusion of vulnerable groups in flood risk assessments
By Susanne Togeby, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Colourbox
Researchers have developed Denmark's first social flood vulnerability index and social flood risk index that measures how floods impact the population. Their findings reveal that certain groups – including older people, children, and individuals with health issues or limited Danish language skills – are particularly vulnerable in the event of flooding. They also found significant disparities in social vulnerability and social risk across Denmark.
The study was carried out by researchers from the Danish Coastal Authority, including Mia Cassidy Prall, who is now conducting an Industrial PhD thesis at the Danish Coastal Authority and the Centre for Blue Governance at Aalborg University. The PhD thesis is partially based on the results. Mia Cassidy Prall explains:
"We found interesting patterns in the spatial distribution of social vulnerability and social risk in Denmark. For example, high social vulnerability is generally concentrated in urban areas. Additionally, we were surprised to see that many people are indirectly affected by floods even if they do not live in directly flooded areas.”
According to Mia Cassidy Prall, people outside flooded areas are affected as they lose access to essential services such as emergency aid, schools, and hospitals.
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Including social data in the process of implementing the EU Floods Directive is an important step forward in understanding that flood events have an impact on people and on social wellbeing.
The social consequences of flooding receive more attention in the future
According to Mia Cassidy Prall, municipalities’ flood risk management and subsequent climate change adaptation have so far been based on assessing economic damage. The focus has been on building physical protection, such as seawalls, while the social consequences of flooding and climate change have received too little attention.
The good news is that social consequences of flooding are now being used in the national risk assessment as part of the EU Floods Directive. The formal appointment of flood risk areas in Denmark will now be based on both social and economic consequences. Mia Cassidy Prall states:
“Including social data in the process of implementing the EU Floods Directive is an important step forward in understanding that flood events have an impact on people and on social wellbeing. The social consequences of flooding are especially important to understand given that climate change is expected to lead to many more people being impacted by flooding in Denmark in the future.“
Having access to data on the social consequences of flooding will, according to Mia Cassidy Prall, make it easier for municipalities to manage flood risk and climate change adaptation in a way that reduces negative consequences for people, rather than solely focusing on measures that reduce economic damage. As a result, municipalities will be able to focus more on strengthening social resilience.
Five factors make people more vulnerable to flooding
The researchers investigated a range of factors that increase individuals' vulnerability to floods, as well as those that can help mitigate this vulnerability. These factors, derived from previous studies, include:
- Age: Young children and the elderly are less able to prepare for and cope with the consequences of a flood.
- Health: Individuals with health problems or reduced mobility struggle more during a flood.
- Language: New immigrants and others who do not speak Danish may have difficulty understanding critical information in a disaster.
- Economic status: Economically disadvantaged individuals have fewer resources to protect themselves from flooding.
- Strength of the local community: A strong local community with good social ties can help ease the response to a flood.
The researchers combined these factors with data on where flooding occurs and who is directly or indirectly exposed to a flood to create a social flood risk index. The data can be viewed online in an interactive map of floodings.
The social flood vulnerability and social flood risk indices are now being used in ongoing work related to the EU Floods Directive. More information about this process can be found here (in Danish): Oversvømmelsesdirektivet i Danmark, planperiode 2022-2027.
