Local innovations in flood hazard risk management in the past 10 years: the potential of upscaling niche developments to reduce institutional vulnerability in Austria
Abstract as pdf
Corresponding Author:
Thomas Thaler
Institute of Mountain Risk Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Austria
thomas.thaler@boku.ac.at
Author(s):
Sven Fuchs1
1Institute Of Mountain Risk Engineering, University Of Natural Resources And Life Sciences, Sven.Fuchs@Boku.Ac.At, AUT
Current procedures in flood risk management request new institutional settings to effectively respond to observed dynamics. This paper aims to assess and explain institutional innovations in natural hazard risk management by analysing different examples of innovative risk management strategies, which are distinctive to mainstream solutions. We analysed eight innovative strategies across the country that combine several different strategies (e.g. risk management, sustainable landuse development, urban resilience, individual preparedness and well-being) concerned with mitigation systems in order to save space, time and possible arising costs. The paper uses a mixed method approach. The first step includes 72 qualitative standardized semi-structured interviews with key experts from public and private sector at national, regional and local level connected to proposed innovative risk management strategies. These interviews were conducted in eleven selected study sites between 2012 and 2021. As a second step, we conducted an explorative scenario analysis. The results highlight that institutional innovations in risk management are depend on bottom-up initiatives instead of top-down decisions. Consequently, these measures also need a larger risk acceptance among decision makers and the public. Innovations are based on individual interests and certain policy entrepreneurs at local level; however, national authorities act as ‘gatekeepers’ which allows innovation at local level. Based on these variables, two selected scenarios were developed to show the tipping points necessary for policy transformation in natural hazard risk management.
Institutional settings in flood hazard and risk management