Hamburg Risk Map

Interdisciplinary knowledge integration and visualization by GIS-modeling

Contact: Dr. Malte von Szombathely (UHH), Dr. Franziska S. Hanf (UHH),  Dr. Benjamin Poschlod (UHH), Prof. Dr. Jana Sillmann (UHH)

Contributors: Nadine Kaul (UHH), Anastasia Vogelbacher (TUHH)

Weather and climate extremes can lead to devastating impacts, especially in cities. Urbanization processes generate vulnerability and exposure, which combine with climate-related hazards, driving urban risk and impacts (Mason et al. 2020; Dodman et al. 2022). In consequence, and following the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) we conceptualize risk as a combination of hazard, vulnerability, and exposure (Reisinger et al. 2020). 

The ‘Hamburg risk map’ serves as a catalyst for a broader understanding and science based public communication. The project team visualizes water-related hazards, spatial exposures and social-spatial vulnerabilities using a geographical information system (GIS). Stakeholder workshops ensure close links to policy makers and local knowledge. Social vulnerability in Hamburg is quantified using an index (Social Vulnerability Index; von Szombathely et al. 2023), which has been developed for Hamburg on the background of a broad base of literature and case studies worldwide (see Figure). The combination with hazard areas (based on various high-resolution data sets provided by the Geoportal Hamburg) and exposure data enables the project to identify risk hotspots (Jurgilevich et al., 2017), where social vulnerability, exposure, and hazards intersect. Additionally, it can help to identify and prioritize regions, sectors or population groups at risk (Nguyen et al., 2016).

References:

Dodman, D., B. Hayward, M. Pelling, V. Castan Broto, W. Chow, E. Chu, R. Dawson, L. Khirfan, et al. (2022): Cities, settlements and key infrastructure. In Climate change 2022: Impacts, adaptation and vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, ed. H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, et al., 907–1040. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press

GeoBasis-DE/BKG (2018): CORINE Land Cover 5 ha, Stand 2018 (CLC5-2018). http://gdz.bkg.bund.de/index.php/default/corine-land-cover-5-ha-stand-2018-clc5-2018.html

Jurgilevich, A.; Räsänen, A.; Groundstroem, F.; Juhola, S. (2017): A systematic review of dynamics in climate risk and vulnerability assessments. In: Environ. Res. Lett. 12 (1). DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa5508 .

Mason, D., A. Iida, S. Watanabe, L.P. Jackson, and M. Yokohari (2020): How urbanization enhanced exposure to climate risks in the Pacific: A case study in the Republic of Palau. Environmental Research Letters 15(11): Article 114007.

Nguyen, Thang T.X.; Bonetti, J.; Rogers, K.; Woodroffe, C.D. (2016): Indicator-based assessment of climate-change impacts on coasts: A review of concepts, methodological approaches and vulnerability indices. In: Ocean & Coastal Management 123, S. 18–43. DOI: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2015.11.022 .

Reisinger, A.; Howden, M.; Vera, C.; Garschagen, M.; Hurlbert, M.; Kreibiehl, S.; Mach, K.J.; Mintenbeck, K. et al. 2020. The concept of risk in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report: A summary of crossworking group discussions. https:// www. ipcc. ch/ site/ assets/ uploads/ 2021/ 01/ The- conce pt- of- risk- in- the- IPCC- Sixth- Asses sment-Report.pdf. 

Statistikamt Nord. 2017. Statistical areas in Hamburg (Statistische Gebiete in Hamburg). https:// metav er. de/ treff eranz eige? docuu id=DB93B 23B- D3F1- 4460- 8C62- DD196 18937 67& plugi d=/ ingridgroup:ige- iplug- hmdk. metav er& docid= DB93B 23B- D3F1- 4460-8C62- DD196 18937 67. 

Statistikamt Nord. 2020. Customer file 2020 (Kundendatei 2020). Obtainable from the authors.