Natural Hazards and Disaster Prevention in Germany

1. Natural Hazards and Disaster Prevention in Germany Thomas Kratzsch Head of Department Basic Forecasts Deutscher Wetterdienst Germany Thomas.Kratzsch@dwd.de

2. Natural Hazards and Disaster Prevention in Germany Outline NonaturalHazardprogramme in Germany National Authorities DWD-Warning System DWD - RCC-CM – datacollectionforclimatemonitoring

3. Natural Hazards and Disaster Prevention in Germany NonaturalHazardprogramme in Germany - Responsiblefordisasterpreventionthefederalstatesare! Thereare National AuthoritiesandOrganisationsfordisasterpreventionandreduction , i.e. BBK (under BMI) DKKV (German CommitteeforDisasterReduction) Ministries: BMU (BFS:..“radiationprotection“), BLE, BMVBS (ProtectionofcriticalInfrastructures, DWD, BSH, …) Floodforecasting: www.hochwasserzentralen.de ; http://www.pegelonline.wsv.de

4. Acts of war / emergencies of national significance / disaster assistance for states Planning, coordination, crisis management BBK Operative management Common emergencies / emergency & fire services, techn. assistance The German civil protection system National States Local / regional major disasters and emergencies Local authorities (municipalities, cities, etc.)

5. Flood forecasting in Germany: www.hochwasserzentralen.de

7. An introduction to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assitance BBK- The challenges Source: BBK www.BBK.bund.de

8. The German perspective Der Bevölkerungsschutz beschreibt als Oberbegriff alle Aufgaben und Maßnahmen der Kommunen und der Länder im Katastrophenschutz sowie des Bundes im Zivilschutz. “Bevölkerungsschutz” as a generic noun describes all tasks and actions of the municipalities and states in the area of emergency/disaster management („Katastrophenschutz“) as well as those of the national level in the area of civil protection („Zivilschutz“). Civil Protection thus encompasses all non-police and non-military measures for the protection of the population and its livelihood against disasters and other major emergencies as well as the consequences of war and armed conflicts. Civil Protection includes measures aimed at preventing such incidents, limiting their effects, and responding effectively to major incidents. BBK Glossary, 2011

9. The strategy New Strategy for the Protection of the Population 2002 Starting point Changed climate of risk and more comples risk management Shortfalls in emergency preparedness and response • Basic approach of the new strategy • Civil protection as common, joint task • Strategic planning • Risk analysis • Objective (protection goal) • Cooperation, information, communication

10. The responsibilities ZSKG 2009, law on civil protection and disaster management Civil protection • Organisation and development of self-protection • Information of the population • Warning of the population • Protective buildings • Right of residence • Protection of health • Protection of cultural assets • Development of a curriculum for civil protection • Support of national/federal authorities in common planning of civil defence Civil protection and disaster assitance • Technical-scientific research and publication • Control of equipment and agents, certification, standardisation, quality assurance • Emergency management – support of the states, if needed through the THW • Training of managers and decision makers in emergency management in relation • to their responsibilities in the area of civil protection • Support of municipalities and lokal authorities in fullfilling their obligations in the • area of self protection

11. The division of labour Protection of cultural assets Flooding Supporting CI protection Forest fires CBRN protection Road traffic accidents Terrorist attacks Local industrial accidents Storm Self protection Civil Protection Emergency management Disaster assistance National States

12. Acts of war / emergencies of national significance / disaster assistance for states Planning, coordination, crisis management BBK Operative management Common emergencies / emergency & fire services, techn. assistance The German civil protection system National States Local / regional major disasters and emergencies Local authorities (municipalities, cities, etc.)

13. The BBK mission & tasks • Implementation and coordination of national responsibilities in civil protection • Support of the national level and the states in emergency crisis management • Point of reference for the civil service, other organisations and the population • Developing principle guidance, support, advice, connect, coordinate, train Supporting volunteerism Training Protection of cultural assets Technical equipment Promoting self-protection CBRN protection Warning of the population Risk analysis Crisis management Psychological & social crisis management support International Affairs Critical infrastructure protection Research & development GMLZ Emergency water supply Risk management Public health protection

14. Denis 1 - open Internet-platform deNIS- Website Open for Public

15. BBK organizes and coordinates exercises on disaster management on civil protection every 2 yearson a national context:training of collaboration of national – states – local authoritiesBBK presents a list including natural hazards:„Gefahrenarten in Deutschland“natural hazards defined at most by severe weather warning criteria of DWD

16. Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge (DKKV) German Committee for Disaster Reduction Organisation and Activities of the national platform for Disaster Reduction • Founded in 2000, following the German IDNDR Committee • Non Governmental Organisation • Non Profit • Located in Bonn • Members and Advisory Boards • 4 Employees Source: DKKV

17. Members of DKKV are: • Human Health – Relief Organisations • Non Governmental Organisations • Institutions of Civil Protection and Scientific Institutions • Authorities • Networks Objectivesof DKKV Anchoringof DRR in Politics, Economics and Administration Awarenessraising Reductionof human, social, economicalandecologicallosses Objectivesare in linewith IDNDR and IDSR.

18. DKKV - Activities international Operational Government Civil Society Science national

19. Activities • Building of national and international Networks • Advisors of Politics • Improvement of Disaster management • Knowledge management • Advisor of Scientists on practical issues • Public Relations • Education Materials • International and European Cooperation Services for DKKV Members Association – Events/ Discussion - Information - Lobbying - Projekts

20. There are no nationwide definitions of Natural Hazards in Germany!butA) Natural Hazards from the perspective of warningsB) Natural Hazards from the perspective of climatology:RCC-CM NetworksGlobal Precipitation Climatology Center

21. Warning Management System of Deutscher Wetterdienst Warning criteria • same criteria for whole Germany • defined in collaboration with national authorities for disaster management, based on evaluation of climate data • Warnings given for rural destricts, 200m vertical steps • 4 different warning levels:

25. Further information at www.dwd.de and www.wettergefahren.de

26. Heat warnings (heat load) There is no official definition of a heat wave but criteria for heat warnings: Warning for a strong heatload: if Perceived Temperature at 12:00 UTC reaches or exceeds the threshold for strong heat load on two consecutive days and if the indoor temperature of a standardized building does not drop below a region specific threshold. Threshold for a strong heat load depends on the climate of the past 30 days to account for acclimatization. In most cases it is between 30 and 34°C. Indoor Temperature threshold takes the 8 hour nighttime average of operative indoor temperature into account and is depending on the region between 23°C in northern parts of Germany and higher regions and 25°C in warmer regions. An extreme heat warning is issued if Perceived Temperature at 12:00 UTC reaches or exceeds 38°C

27. Contracts / Agreements DWD has existing contracts with all federal states and DRK, THW, DFwV on collaboration for disaster prevention and protection Containing met. and warning products and Climatological data and CC prognoses DWD stores met. data (events) for more than 100 years of the own measuring network Presents monthly reports „Monatlicher Witterungsbericht“

28. ESWD data base There is a data base of severe weather events more than hundred years ago www.essl.org Close collaboration between several European National Meterological Services

30. The climatological view: RCC Network DWD does the coordination for the RCC-Network on RA VI and is leader of the node for climate monitoring (RCC-CM) One task of the node on climate monitoring within RCC is the aspects for CLIMATE WATCH which is suggested by WMO NMHS’s within RA VI need support by detecting critical long-lasting weather periods on weekly or monthly time scale DWD leader of RCC-CM Armstatehydromet, Météo-France, KNMI, HMSS, TSMS are Consortium Members of RCC-CM MeteoFrance leader of RCC-LRF

31. RCC Network Product is a Climate Watch Advisory in case of detectable significant weather events. The beneficiaries are the NMHS’s of RA VI. Creating a Hazard database for RA VI with floods, heat waves, cold spells, droughts, wildfire, storms, rainfall, landslides, subjective and objective criteria For strong events which effect several countries a post disaster review will be conducted in the context of RCC-CM. Those documentations are archived on www.dwd.de/rcc-cm

32. RCC Network – Product Examples

33. web application creating reports map service attribute table PDF.js graphical statistic description jQuery.flot.js GeoExt OpenLayers WFS (Extreme Event data) WMS (secondary data, background data) OpenStreetMap (external) DWD - infrastructure Geoserver secondary information Architecture for Visualisation of Knowledge Data Base for Extreme Weather Events in Europe

34. Data model of Knowledge Data Base for Extreme Weather Events in Europe Supplymentary information to descripe Extreme Events Description of Extreme Events Related events Spatial information Source description Supplymentary information for source description

35. Description of Extreme Weather Events event is characterised by anomalies, indices line-like development (trajectories) has punctiform extreme values extensive characteristics affected country affected area cachment is location path

36. Webclient to Visualise Knowledge Data Base of Extreme Weather Events Events in 2012 from different data sources with spatial extension and occurence

37. WV1 – 01/2013 RCC Network – Product Examples

38. GPCC – Global Precipitation Climatological Center • Acquisition of precipitation data from meteorological and climate observation networks. • Quality-control and assessment of the collected resp. used data, correction of errors • Correction with respect to systematic gauge measuring errors • Calculation of gridded area-mean monthly precipitation for the earth's landsurface • Error assessment for the precipitation totals on the individual gridcell • (i.e. sampling error, systematic error component) • Dissemination of the products (gridded data sets(pdf)) • Supervision of and reporting on availability, timeliness and quality of precipitation data (in SYNOP and CLIMAT reports received via GTS) (GCOS and CBS) • Statistical analysis of the temporal and spatial variability of precipitation (VASClimO) • Assessment of high-latitude precipitation including snow observations (APDA) • Specific case studies

39. Thank you for your attention !Thanks to colleagues from DWD, BBK, DKKV Thomas Kratzsch Head of Department Basic Forecasts Deutscher Wetterdienst Frankfurter Str. 135 – 63067 Offenbach Germany Thomas.Kratzsch@dwd.de Tel: +49 (69) 8062 2254 Fax: +49 (69) 8062 2259