Storm surge resilience and the Sendai Framework: Risk perception, intention to prepare and enhanced collaboration along the German North Sea coast

This work assesses the capacity of the German North Sea coast community, which has been hit by several disastrous storm surge events in the past, to organise itself before, during, and after storm surge events in order to minimise the impacts. By means of a survey-based method, we explore stakeholders' perception regarding the risk and emergency management processes, the psychological and social factors conditioning the intention to prepare and collaborate, as well as the feasibility of enhanced coordination and collaboration mechanisms at the community level. Acknowledging past and ongoing successful initiatives in the study area, the method allows identifying opportunities to foster preparedness and adaptation, such as an improved risk communication strategy, mainstreaming and integrating risk reduction within and across sectors, and the transition from basic participatory approaches based solely on information provision towards full involvement and collaborative approaches. The major findings of the study represent an initial diagnostic to help meet the guidelines and priorities proposed in the recent Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.