LC 00329

The EU (2008) defines critical infrastructure as ‘an asset, system or part thereof located in Member States which is essential for the maintenance of vital societal functions, health, safety, security, economic or social well-being of people, and the disruption or destruction of which would have a significant impact in a Member State as a result of the failure to maintain those functions’.

Within FRAMES, the vulnerability of critical infrastructure assets to floods was assessed in three pilot projects: electricity grid networks in Reimerwsaal and Flood Proof Electricity Grid Zeeland pilots in the Netherlands and social and care home sectors in the Kent (United Kingdom).

Linking the layers

The knowledge gained from the pilot projects are linked to several layers of the MLS approach: 

• Layer 2, Spatial adaptation: limits flood consequences (a) when applying spatial adaptation measures for vulnerable electricity grid assets
• Layer 3, Emergency management: supports preparedness and emergency planning by (a) raising flood risk awareness of about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure; (b) update local flood action plans including evacuation routes and risk communication strategies based on updated flood risk maps; (d) update asset management plans;
• Layer 3, Resilient recovery: when flood preparedness measures are taken this leads to a better flood recovery for communities. 

Lessons learnt

The main lessons learned when assessing the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to floods are:

[ include link to lessons learned]

• Problem analysis
• Stakeholders analysis
• Increased knowledge and flood risk awareness of critical infrastructure
• Trust
• Communication of low flood probabilities

Adaptive capacities needed

[include link to adaptive capacities] 

In FRAMES, we have also learned that the combination of FRM strategies in response to climate change depends on the adaptation space and capacity of institutions (Berkhout, Hertin, & Gann, 2006). Institutions have the ability to stimulate the capacity of society to adapt to climate change from local to national level (Gupta, 2010). Therefore, stakeholders and organizations involved in FRAMES contributed to the development of adaptive capacities at local and regional level. Hence, the implementation of NFM in these pilot projects resulted in employed and developed capacities that enable enhanced flood resilience of communities and areas.

The transnational evaluation and analysis of these pilot projects revealed that the following insufficient, employed and developed capacities throughout the pilot projects. Insufficient capacities refer to capacities that are not present, or present but not applied in the governance network of the pilot project. Employed capacities refer to the capacities present and applied throughout the pilot project. Developed capacities refer to the capacities improved or emerged in the governance network as a result of the pilot project. It is relevant to know what capacities developed when assessing the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to floods in Zeeland and Kent.

A lot is unknown about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, such as electricity grid network, social and health care homes, transportation and telecom, towards floods. If a flooding event would happen, this will have a direct effect causing failure of the electricity grid network but also indirect effects (cascading effects) on vital services (transportation, telecom). Therefore, an in depth problem analysis is required to consider the perspective of all stakeholders (1.1 Variety of problem frames) involved in the management of critical infrastructure. The pilot projects resulted in new knowledge gained (5.3. Human resources) about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in relation to flood scenarios. The knowledge generated in the pilot projects provide diverse solutions (1.3 Diversity of solutions) in FRM (e.g. spatial adaptation and preparedness measures). This knowledge and information is made available (3.1 Continuous access to information) for organizations involved in managing critical infrastructure, but also municipalities and policy makers. As a result of these pilot projects, collaboration (4.3 Collaborative leadership) between crisis management organizations, critical infrastructure owners and local authorities (local and regional) improved. All stakeholders together discussed challenges and shared a common vision for the long term planning (4.1 Visionary leadership) of critical infrastructure in relation to climate change. Moreover, critical infrastructure owners increased their capacity (3.3 Capacity to improve) to deal with flood risk in the long term. Furthermore, critical infrastructure owners are motivated and interested (4.2 Entrepreneurial leadership) to integrate the gained knowledge gained to improve the current asset management plans of the critical infrastructure (2.2. Single loop learning). This knowledge was also translated into policy advice to start up a discussion with policy makers and include this topic into the political agenda (2.3 Double loop learning). For instance, in the Electricity grid network Zeeland (NL) and (Wesermarsch) flood risk assessments of critical infrastructure and importance for layer 3 (emergency response) have been put on the agenda.

However, there are still many unknowns in this topic: how to increase the flood risk awareness at national level and maybe worldwide, who is responsible to implement the measures (the electricity grid owner, the local, regional or national government). In addition, it still remains unknown what the effects are of other climate change impacts (droughts) on the services assets (electricity grid network, transportation and telecom) and how/ who should deal with these challenges. More research is recommended on this matter to get more knowledge and policy support on this policy action.

Toolkit

The following tools were used in these pilot projects:

• Stakeholders analysis
• Workshops
• National information system Water and Floods, LIWO (Landelijk Informatiesysteem Water en Overstromingen)
• Cost-benefit Analysis (CBA)
• Vital Asset tool
• 3D modelling of flood risk scenarios
• Critical Infrastructures: Relations and Consequences for Life and Environment (Circle)
• Risk label method
• 3D viewer of flood scenarios
• Mobile app
• Evacuation traffic model
• The Kent Strategic Health Asset Planning and Evaluation (SHAPE) Atlas
• Severe Weather Impacts Monitoring System (SWIMS)
• KentView
• Climate Just
• Climate Change Risk and Impact Assessment (CCRiA)
• Social media for dissemination

Referenties

• Stakeholder analysis report FRAMES, FRAMES Consortium, 1 januari 2020.
• Adaptive capacities FRAMES definitions and examples, Gupta et al, 20 april 2020.

Hier wordt aan gewerkt of naar verwezen door: Layer 2- Spatial adaptation