WP Leader: TUD (Thom Bogaard, Erik Mostert) and  TUDO (Stefan Greiving)

Risk governance includes the totality of actors, rules, conventions, processes and mechanisms concerned with how relevant risk information is collected, analysed and communicated and management decisions are taken. Risk governance strategies differ greatly between the various regions and countries within Europe and with different hazards. This is contrast with the European harmonisation in legislation. Although risk governance is applied widely its effectiveness, has not been critically reviewed whereas lessons learnt from past projects indicate a clear need for this, especially communication. In view of the given differences between cultures and socio-economic settings in addition to individual factors, good risk governance should focus on common procedural requirements for different phases of risk governance. The legitimacy of risk reduction measures is also based on successful risk governance. It needs to take into account the state-of-the-art of both the Quantitative Risk Assessment and the relevant aspects of risk perception, institutional settings, history and constraints. This could give insight in why hydro-geomorphologic events are often undervalued by the authorities and the general public largely due to their lack of awareness. The changes in hazard (WP1), exposed elements at risk (WP2) and risk scenarios (WP3) as a result of on-going and future environmental changes, pose a large challenge to organisations involved in risk management. Part of this Work Package is an analysis of the risk governance strategies in the four countries involved (France, Italy, Poland, Romania) in its European context. The methods for hazard and risk assessment developed in earlier WPs are communicated with local stakeholders/end-users and the affected individuals and communities. Scenarios for risk reduction will be agreed on by mutual dialogue between researchers and all stakeholders. The effectiveness of risk communication strategies will be analysed, and suitable training materials will be developed for different stakeholders.

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