RWTH Experts Support Reconstruction in Flood-Affected Areas

The extensive damage to infrastructure, buildings, and the well-being of the inhabitants of the regions particularly affected by the catastrophic floods in July 2021 call for significant recovery efforts. As a result, the BMBF has established a scientific advisory panel to support the reconstruction activities. The Ministry is providing around five million euros for research to ensure a scientifically guided reconstruction process.

The advisory panel is comprised of researchers from different institutions and disciplines, üpooling expertise from urban and spatial planning, hydrology, hydraulic engineering and management, building technology, natural and environmental hazards, and innovation and systems research. The panel’s activities are coordinated by Professor Holger Schüttrumpf, director of RWTH’s Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, and Professor Jörn Birkmann, head of the Institute of Regional Development Planning (IREUS) at the University of Stuttgart.

The initiative is interlinked with other BMBF-funded projects, including a project in the area of civil security research, addressing questions such as flood hazard risk forecasting, risk communication, and  risk and disaster management, in particular in light of the of the extreme flood events in July 2021. The aim is to better prepare for possible future precipitation events and guide emergency aid organizations, authorities with security tasks, and citizens in implementing appropriate measures. It is intended that the findings will be transferable to other regions and crisis scenarios.