Building Flood Resilience: Lessons from Japan for the EU

Recent events in Europe, such as the devastating 2024 floods in Valencia (Spain) and Emilia Romagna (Italy), highlight the growing challenges posed by climate change and emphasize the urgent need for enhanced flood resilience within the EU. Developing effective flood-resilience strategies requires tailored approaches, deeply rooted in the local context. While Japan offers an inspiring example of managing seasonal flooding, its methods cannot be directly applied to the European context without adaptation.

In this presentation, I will introduce an ongoing Marie Curie Skłodowska Postdoctoral project, which focuses on the exchange of knowledge and best practices in community disaster preparedness and hazard mapping, with a particular emphasis on integrating lessons from Japan into the EU context while respecting local cultures.

The project begins with a focus on the value of local narratives and stories of past disasters, which provide crucial insight into how communities perceive current risks and motivate residents to take proactive steps in disaster preparedness. This research explores the role of local culture, including myths and legends, in shaping these perceptions. Using qualitative methods such as interviews, literature reviews, and surveys, the project aims to propose an educational framework centred on localised resilience and sustainability. Additionally, the project seeks to incorporate qualitative aspects into interactive hazard mapping, with an emphasis on identifying vulnerable social groups and improving evacuation strategies during flood-related emergencies.