Assessment of social vulnerability for river-floods in Germany [Elektronische Ressource] / von Alexander Fekete

UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) Assessment of Social Vulnerability for River-Floods in Germany Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung des Grades Doktor-Ingenieur (Dr.-Ing.) der Hohen Landwirtschaftlichen Fakultät der Rheinischen Friedrichs-Wilhelm-Universität zu Bonn vorgelegt am 04.06.2009 von Alexander Fekete, Bonn http://hss.ulb.uni-bonn.de/diss_online Alexander Fekete 2010: Assessment of Social Vulnerability for River-Floods in Germany Referent: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Janos J. Bogardi Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Richard Dikau Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Thomas Kutsch Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 11.12.2009 Erscheinungsjahr: 2010 2 Alexander Fekete 2010: Assessment of Social Vulnerability for River-Floods in Germany Abstract The assessment of social vulnerability unveils hidden weaknesses and strengths of the human society towards a certain stressor or hazard. In this study, vulnerability is analysed in its relation to the hazard posed by extreme river-floods. The study starts with an assessment of the varying impacts that river-floods typically produce in Germany. Severe cases of floods of the rivers Danube in 2002, the river Elbe in 2002 and 2006 and at the river Rhine in 1993 and 1995 affected large areas in Germany.