The Emergence of Different Local Resilience Arrangements Regarding Extreme Weather Events in Small Municipalities—A Case Study from the Wielkopolska Region, Poland

Adam Choryński,Michał Krzyżaniak,Dariusz Graczyk,Iwona Pińskwar

doi:10.3390/su14042052

Adam Choryński, Michał Krzyżaniak + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042052

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Abstract

Compared with other parts of the world, Poland is a relatively safe country in terms of natural disasters. Nevertheless, extreme weather events have become a significant threat in recent years, especially for local communities. These are exposed to intense rainfall, heavy wind, and heatwaves, as are larger towns. However, small municipalities have different economic, social, and human potential for undertaking preventive actions regarding meteorological extremes. In this paper, we are looking at what activities local communities from the Wielkopolska region in Poland undertake to cope with extreme weather events—specifically, heavy rainfall and heatwaves. We analyze the municipalities that are most and least exposed to extremes, based on meteorological data. These are further compared with local resilience measures in the event of extreme meteorological events through the risk management analysis of selected municipalities. The emergence of two approaches regarding extreme weather events has been observed. First, local arrangements consist of different resilience types. Both of the identified approaches are concentrated around rescue activities, representing recovery resilience. They differ in the second component of resilience: municipalities that have suffered more from weather extremes manifest more resistance resilience, whereas those communities where fewer meteorological events took place demonstrate more creativity-type resilience.

Highlights

Introduction iationsAs a result of many changes taking place globally—increasing urbanization, climate change, economic growth, and the corresponding increase in people’s disposable income—extreme weather events pose an increasingly severe threat to lives and habitats
This study aims to analyze the kinds of specific activities that are followed in local municipalities that are more exposed to extreme weather events, as well as those where events occurred less, to establish different responses to the risks associated with extreme weather events
Our analyses of Polish flood risk governance arrangements suggest that the more exposed to natural disasters a local community is, the more probable it is that a resistance-resilience-type arrangement would emerge in Polish scenarios [16,24,40]

Summary

Introduction

As a result of many changes taking place globally—increasing urbanization, climate change, economic growth, and the corresponding increase in people’s disposable income—. Extreme weather events pose an increasingly severe threat to lives and habitats. They are difficult to predict, and they may be even more dangerous in the future. The concentration of resources and inhabitants in a small space means that people and material goods are ever more exposed to the destructive effects of intense meteorological phenomena. The impact of urbanization processes on this increased vulnerability to losses results from changes in spatial structure. The rain cannot naturally drain away into the ground, resulting in urban floods from heavy rainfall. Local authorities try to counteract this by installing expensive rainwater drainage systems, but it is often

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