Developing the Natural Hazards Portal for Germany – a central access point for warnings, preparedness and resilience

The flood disaster in western Germany in July 2021 revealed substantial shortcomings in the communication and understanding of official warnings and risk information, which contributed to severe impacts (DKKV, 2024; Thieken et al., 2023). In response, the German federal and state governments initiated the development of a Natural Hazards Portal to provide a central, authoritative access point for harmonized information on natural hazards. The Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), Germany’s National Meteorological Service, was commissioned to design and implement the portal.

The Natural Hazards Portal integrates official warnings with preparedness, impact-related information, and behavioural guidance across multiple natural hazards. Its objectives are to improve the visibility and comprehension of warnings, strengthen individual and societal preparedness, and contribute to long-term resilience. To this end, the portal combines event-driven warning information with contextualized data on local hazard exposure, impact-oriented indicators, and recommended actions before, during, and after hazardous events. All content is designed to be clear, accessible, and comprehensible for diverse user groups.

This presentation presents the conceptual framework, current implementation status, and future development of the portal. We discuss key challenges related to the integration and standardization of heterogeneous data sources from multiple authorities, as well as the role of the portal within an ecosystem of specialized, hazard-specific platforms. Particular emphasis is placed on the transition from hazard-centered to impact-based warning and risk communication and on the portal’s potential to support anticipatory action and informed decision-making.

The Natural Hazards Portal represents a joint, holistic response by German authorities to increasing natural hazard risks under climate change. By providing localized, impact-relevant information and official warnings through a single, central access point, the portal aims to strengthen preparedness and resilience without replacing existing specialized warning services.

References

DKKV (2024). Governance und Kommunikation im Krisenfall des Hochwasserereignisses im Juli 2021, DKKV-Schriftenreihe Nr. 63, Januar 2024, Bonn. https://dkkv.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/HoWas2021_DKKV_Schriftenreihe_63.pdf.

Thieken, A. H., Bubeck, P., Heidenreich, J., von Keyserlingk, L., Dillenardt, J., & Otto, A. (2023). Performance of the flood warning system in Germany in July 2021 – insights from affected residents. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 23, 973–995 https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-23-973-2023.