Austria and Poland under the EU Floods Directive: vulnerability perspectives in flood risk management

Abstract

The European Flood Directive (Flood Directive 2007/60/EC) has been pivotal in shaping Flood Risk Management (FRM) across the European Union. Aimed at reducing the risks and impacts of flooding, it mandates Member States to adopt a comprehensive approach through the development of preliminary flood risk assessments, flood hazard and risk maps and flood risk management plans. Despite these efforts, one of the directive's significant shortcomings is the lack of standardized methodologies for assessing flood vulnerability, which is an essential component of effective FRM. The aim of this article is to provide a systematic comparative review of how Austria and Poland implement the EU Floods Directive in flood risk management practice, with a particular focus on how vulnerability is conceptualised and operationalised in assessments, maps and plans. On this basis, the paper identifies key innovations and persisting challenges in integrating vulnerability into flood risk management and discusses implications for more coherent approaches to vulnerability assessment under the Flood Directive.