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Rapid vulnerability appraisal for the Elbe basin

Newater project: Rapid vulnerability appraisal for the Elbe basin

An activity of the Newater project using the Rapid vulnerability assessment protocol was an assessment of the Elbe basin that showed that the most prevalent threats and priorities for adaptive water management identified in the Elbe basin were droughts and water pollution, with the urban popluationin large cities most at risk. Other vulnerable groups are elderly people and other vulnerable sectors are the tourist sector in Spreewald (natural reserve) and the agriculture sector in the flood plains area. Endangered species are also highly vulnerable to these stresses.

Exposure Matrix for the Elbe

Floods emerged with a lower score than might be expected given the analysis of stakeholder feedback in the RAP. However other data provided in the vulnerability assessment confirm no increase in the trend of flooding in the summer and a downward trend of winter flooding. The reasons for the disparity between this data and actual stakeholder perceptions of flooding events may be interesting to explore further.

Attributes of vulnerability for the Elbe

Scoring attributes in both the German and Czech Republic parts of the Elbe basin, clearly shows that the German part is less vulnerable in most aspects compared with the Czech Republic part.

Vulnerability profiles for the Elbe

(CR Czech, G German sub-basins)

These results were produced for the Newater project using the Rapid vulnerability appraisal protocol by the Newater partners at the IUCN, the World Conservation Union. For full results see the Newater deliverables here.

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