The River and The Risk

The River and The Risk
Locus Amoenus, Locus Terribilis 

In 2021, the Ahr Valley in South-West Germany was hit by a devasting flood. The thesis examines the aftermath of this disaster with a focus on spatial impacts of the reconstruction as well as flood prevention. I traveled there twice, to understand both the official strategy being implemented and the criticisms surrounding it.

Through interviews and research, the project explores topics such as the impact of insurance companies on the region, the potential of self-organized flood cooperatives, and the traditional use of the land. Investigating laws and planning regulations proved to be especially important. This is because flood prevention is directly tied to the designation of risk zones and the planning approaches to managing them. Many houses have been reconstructed right next to the river by exploiting legal exemptions. This approach is unsustainable, highlighting the urgent need for a long-term, spatially responsible strategy to manage those zones.

The final section of the work is a speculative narrative, divided into five parts (2024-2124), about the future of the river and its floodplains. This narrative includes design interventions by integrating the research conducted throughout the project. Each scenario has a different focus, such as the influence of insurances on the region, the rights of the river, the self-initiated establishments of cooperatives, or the use of traditional and new land practices. Furthermore, each scenario is supported by fictitious laws and documents, some challenging existing frameworks, such as the revised German Building code (BGB), or the Landscape Protection Act (LSG) by adding or rewriting certain sections. Others introduce entirely new policies, such as an EU Directive on the gradual withdrawal from floodplains or granting personal rights for the River Ahr.

This approach debates how much and what kind of human activity in risk zones and wetlands is sustainable, acknowledging that the river ecosystem is in constant flux and that floods will always be a natural part of this dynamic.

Further Research: https://www.cca.qc.ca/en/articles/issues/32/keep-safe/95560/the-river-and-the-risk

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