The Impact of Science: Uptake of Scientific Recommendations After Extreme Events—Case Study Floods in 2021 in Germany

Abstract

In summer 2021, heavy precipitation caused major flooding in central Europe, affecting areas in Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The Ahr Valley in Germany was one of the most adversely affected areas, with more than 135 deaths and major destruction within a 50 km path along the Ahr. The federal government of Germany and the federal states affected established a reconstruction fund of 30 billion euros. The recovery and reconstruction process is still ongoing. Much attention has been given to the analysis of the flood disaster; however, this paper explores and documents how selected scientific recommendations developed within a transdisciplinary project (called KAHR) have influenced decisions within the reconstruction process in terms of strengthening climate-resilient recovery. We assess factors that increased the uptake and impact of selected scientific recommendations as well as factors that hindered the uptake. We find, for example, that the urgency for rebuilding large parts of the Ahr Valley and the fact that policy processes were open for scientific inputs increased the uptake and impact. Also, the transdisciplinary nature of the KAHR project helped in translating science into practice. In contrast, time pressure to reconstruct rapidly, uncertainties of what is going to be financed by the reconstruction fund, and existing zoning and building regulations hindered the uptake of selected scientific recommendations toward resilience building. Finally, we argue that science needs a formal role in post-disaster reconstruction processes in order to strengthen resilience, as this allows the latest scientific findings to be incorporated to support resilient reconstruction and allows for a more neutral perspective in discussions and decisions.