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Finding solutions together
The 2022 UCLG World Congress in Daejeon, South Korea, held last October for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, had the largest attendance in UCLG Congress history, with more than 3,000 representatives from around the world. Connective Cities was also represented at the congress and organised a peer exchange on "Flood Risk Management and the Importance of Municipal Preparedness". The workshop was attended by 20 urban practitioners from the Netherlands, Cameroon, Malaysia, Japan, South Africa, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and the Seychelles.
Agenda
By providing key insights into the conceptual framework of risk-informed urban development and highlighting the social and institutional aspects of disaster risk reduction, a collegial exchange was created.
The aim of the workshop was to first give the participants an introduction to practical examples from Cologne/Germany, Durban/South Africa and Ca Mau/Vietnam in the field of flood prevention, protection and management. Afterwards, possibilities for risk-conscious urban development were worked out together in the context of peer consultation. The event was organised jointly with the Global Initiative on Disaster Risk Management (GIZ).
Contributions
The event was opened by Mr. Andreas Wolter, First Deputy Mayor of the City of Cologne (Germany), who highlighted the events of last year's flood disaster in Germany in terms of the importance of municipal preparedness measures. The destruction of critical infrastructure as well as the failure of warning systems, which ultimately led to loss of life, posed extreme challenges of climate change to the affected German municipalities.
The experiences of German municipalities show that an exchange with cities from the Global South, which are already better prepared for natural disasters due to climate change, is necessary.
In this context, Mr. Emmanuel Letebele (Senior Planner, eThekwini Municipality) presented the Transformative Riverine Management Programme from the eThewkwini Municipality, South Africa. The innovative project for the integration of adapted water and climate management establishes a partnership between the municipal government, research institutions, municipal organisations and the citizens. The programme aims to transform the management of over 7,400 km of watercourses and river corridors. It aims to improve water quality through ecosystem-based adaptations and reduce flood risk through community-based projects, such as paying for collected waste that can lead to drain blockages.
Informal settlements in the riverside area are particularly affected by flooding. The warning systems in place protect human lives but cannot prevent the destruction of settlements. The municipality continues to face the challenge of strengthening the resilience of informal settlements due to, among other things, data gaps for the existing disaster early warning system.
Another example has been provided by the Vietnamese city of Ca Mau, presented by Mr. Le Tuan Hai (Chairman, Ca Mau City Council). The city was built on flat land and has a complex water canal system. During heavy rainfall and high tides (high tides of the ocean), large-scale flooding of the city area occurs more frequently.
The sewage and drainage system is not able to cope with the increasing precipitation rate due to climate change and the rise in sea level. The high rate of urbanisation, which leads to a reduction in infiltration areas, poses an additional challenge.
The master plan for urban drainage until 2025 in Ca Mau envisages, among other things, that climate change will be considered in urban planning by focusing on innovative measures such as nature-based solutions. In addition, linking the master plan with investment projects should lead to improvements in the drainage systems. Furthermore, solutions are being sought to regulate groundwater extraction, which in some areas leads to soil subsidence of up to 2.8 cm per year.
Results
For sustainable and efficient municipal flood management, organisation, management and coordination with a large number of actors are of great importance, especially against the background of frequently occurring extreme weather events. One of the things that emerged from the collegial consultation on local challenges was the need to better integrate risk management into general development and environmental planning. Furthermore, the involvement and awareness raising of the population for a responsible approach to natural hazards is central.
Disaster risk management is a continuous activity. Existing risks must be reduced, and managed, and new risks must be avoided. At the same time, preparation for future risks must take place.
More:
Presentationen [pdf, 5,1 mb]
Self-portrayal of the working group
If you are also interested in an exchange on the topic of "Flood Risk Management and the Importance of Municipal Preparedness Measures" and are looking for solutions to your local challenge in this area, we invite you to contact us. Various formats for the joint development of solution approaches are planned for 2023 as part of the Connective Cities programme. Your participation is highly encouraged!
For more information, details on the measures and challenges, please contact Paulina Koschmieder paulina.koschmieder(at)giz.de
