Kulturelle Unterschiede: Risikowahrnehmung-eine vergleichsstudie Deutschland - China

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"Advancing Knowledge for Human Security and
Development United Nations UniversityInstitute
for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
Advancing human security through knowledge-based
approaches to reducing vulnerability and
environmental risks United Nations
UniversityInstitute for Environment and Human
Security (UNU-EHS)
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Flood risk mitigation Does culture matter?

• 4th International Symposium on Flood Defense
• May 6-8, 2008
• Toronto, Canada
• Xiaomeng Shen

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Table of Content

• Flood risk and mitigation
• A comparative case study
• Role of culture in risk mitigation
• Conclusion

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Notion of Risk

• Formal-normative Risk can be calculated using
  mathematical formulas such as Rf(V,H)
• Psychological-cognitive Risk can be observed
  from psychological perspective such as using the
  Psychometric Approach
• Social-economic approach Risk can be related to
  peoples social-economic status
• Cultural theory on risk

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Risk is a Social Construct
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Disaster cycle and Fields of Action
German committee for disaster reduction
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Case Studies
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Cologne
Köln
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Wuhan
Wuhan
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Flood Risk Perception in Comparison
COLOGNE Germany
WUHANChina

• Unified
• Manageable through structural measures
• Chain of command in flood fighting involving
  military and general public is indispensable

• Diverse
• Politicians and private sector more land for
  construction
• Flood management agency preventive spatial plan
  and building codes
• Environmental agencies and NGOs more space for
  nature
• Farmers unions We dont want to lose more
  land and our way of life!

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Actions Taken
Wuhan
Cologne
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Flood Risk Management Strategy
WUHANChina
COLOGNE Germany

• Integrated and participative
• Land use planning, building codes
• Insurance
• Information, public participation
• Natural retention areas
• Horizontal co-operation risk communication
• Technical flood protection
• Early warning
• Flood fighting
• Disaster relief

• Engineered and top-down
• Dams and dikes
• Reservoirs
• Retention areas
• Technical early warning
• Flood fighting and dike defence
• Top-down chain of command
• Disaster relief

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Culture as a Driving Factor for Risk Perception

• Culture is defined as a way of life by Cultural
  Theory. Way of life is a viable combination of
  cultural bias and social relations.

Nature Begnign
Nature Capricious
Nature Perverse / Tolerant
Nature Ephemeral
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Risk Portfolio of Different Cultural Types

Cultural Types Risk Portfolio Attitude towards Risk
egalitarian culture environmental risks amplification of risks, precaution, criticising
hierarchical culture war, terror jeopardizing their power, but tend to neglect future risks reductionist, depoliticising, emphasis of measurability
individualistic culture state control, limitation to freedom which may interrupt their free market activity acceptance and deflection
fatalistic culture natural disasters as punishment of superior power, hence unavoidable neutral position
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Cultural Types in Comparison
WUHANChina
COLOGNE Germany

• Hierarchical
• Egalitarian
• Individualistic

• Dominantly hierarchical
• Trend of individualistic way of life

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Integrated Approach a Universal Concept?

• Top-down vs. bottom-up
• Hierarchy vs. participation
• State responsibility vs. individual
  responsibility
• Stakeholders vs. actors
• ...
• Political and cultural change can only ideally
  take place from within Johnson, 1991

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Towards a Balanced Risk Mitigation Concept
Thank youfor your attention!