Systemic inequity in urban flood exposure and damage compensation

Abstract

Urban flooding is a growing concern in Northern Europe. While all countries in this region invest substantial resources into urban flood risk management, all property owners have unequal opportunity to have their flood risk managed. This paper presents the notion of equity in the urban flood risk management, focusing on urban flood exposure and compensation after sewage surcharge on the 31 August 2014 cloudburst over Malmö in Sweden. All damage claims and the procedures assessing them were analysed based on the type of sewer system (combined or separated) that affected the properties. The results demonstrated considerable systemic inequity in both flood exposure and damage compensation. The owners of properties connected to combined systems were four times more likely to make a damage claim, while having their damage claims approved just over half as often, compared with owners of properties connected to separated sewage systems. Considering the multifaceted nature of both inequities and their possible resolution, current praxis is not sufficient for the management of future urban drainage systems; not only concerning changing climatic conditions but also concerning social conditions.