Recovery from floods represents a critical phase within the broader disaster risk management cycle, bridging immediate emergency response and repairs and longterm development. When properly implemented, it provides an essential opportunity to reduce future vulnerabilities and enhance resilience. However, recent flood events across Europe, most notably in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands in 2021, and in the Valencia and Hauts de France regions in 2024, have demonstrated how challenging it remains to balance rapid reconstruction with the ambition to build back better.
Many affected regions continue to face significant recovery challenges. At the same time, important lessons and successful practices have emerged. These experiences offer valuable insights for shaping future disaster recovery strategies across Europe, particularly as extreme weather events are increasing in frequency, intensity and extent.
This workshop will bring together policymakers, practitioners and researchers from Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Spain and other European countries. Our goal is to share and discuss best practices, identify lessons learned and key success factors from recent flood recovery processes. Together, we aim to develop practical recommendations to support faster, more efficient flood recovery efforts and to strengthen the implementation of building back better principles. Based on the preparatory work and workshop we will develop a short policy brief and plan for a follow-up meeting including more European policymakers in Brussels for wider outreach.
Workshop programme
Day 1 – Tuesday 14 April Day 2 – Wednesday 15 April Day 3 – Thursday 16 April
Day 1 – Tuesday 14 April
Sharing experiences and lessons learned on post-flood recovery and building back better practice in Europe
08:45
Reception and registration
10:00
Opening and welcome to workshop
Welcome speeches by:
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Anne-Catherine Dalcq, Minister of Agriculture and Rural areas of Wallonia, Belgium
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Erwin Manz, State Secretary in Ministry for Climate protection, Environment, Energy and mobility of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
- Jaap Slootmaker, Director-General Water and Soil, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Netherlands
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Tom Köller, Deputy Secretary General of the Benelux Union, Luxembourg
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Annemieke Nijhof, Managing Director Deltares, lead JCAR ATRACE, the Netherlands
Workshop moderator: Dorien Leyers, Belgium
EN-FR-DE interpretation available
10:45
Post-flood recovery and building back better practices in Europe (keynote speeches)
Speakers (max 15 minutes each):
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Teodoro Estrela Monreal, High official of the Júcar River Basin Authority, Valencia, and former director of Water in Spain
- Stéphanie Beucher, Deputy Inspector-General, Inspection-General of Ministry of the Interior, France
- Katya Ivanova, Programme Manager for ‘Waterveiligheid and Ruimte’ in Limburg, the Netherlands
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Holger Schüttrumpf, University professor, Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management, RWTH Aachen, Germany
EN-FR-DE interpretation available
11:50
Short coffee and tea-break
12:10
Panel discussion on experiences and needs for building back quicker and better after floods in Europe 1
Panellists:
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Rogelio Llanes Ribas, Director for coordination and promotion of implementation of aid measures after DANA, Valencia, Spain
- Cornelia Weigand, Head of District Authority of Kreis Ahrweiler, Germany
- Marie-France Beaufils, president of NPO CEPRI, former mayor and senate member, France
-
Philippe Godin, mayor of Pepinster, Belgium
EN-FR-DE-SP interpretation available
12:45
Lunch (including press booth)
14:00
Panel discussion on experiences and needs for building back quicker and better after floods in Europe 2
Panellists:
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Daan Prevoo, mayor of Valkenburg, the Netherlands
-
Joris Gaens, mayor of Voeren, Flanders, Belgium
- Sabine Preiser-Marian, former mayor Bad Münstereifel, Germany
-
Jörn Birkmann, director Institute of Spatial and Regional Planning, Unversity of Stuttgart, Germany
EN-FR-DE interpretation available
15:00
Post-flood recovery in the Vesdre Valley incl. field visit
Introduction speakers:
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Thomas Leroy, Staff member DG, SPW TLPE
- François Paulus, SPW ARNE
19:00
Joint dinner in Hotel Van der Valk, Verviers
Welcome speeches
Anne-Catherine Dalcq
Ministre de l'Agriculture et de la Ruralité, en charge de la Forêt, de la Nature, de la Chasse et de la Pêche, Wallonia, Belgium
Erwin Manz
Staatssekretär im Ministerium für Klimaschutz, Umwelt, Energie und Mobilität des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz
Jaap Slootmaker
Director-General Water and Soil, Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, The Netherlands
Tom Köller
Deputy Secretary-General of the Benelux Union
Annemieke Nijhof
Managing Director Deltares, Netherlands
Dorien Leyers
Workshop moderator
Keynote speeches
Teodoro Estrela Monreal
Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar, Spain
Stéphanie Beucher
Deputy Inspector-General, France
Katya Ivanova
Program manager Waterveiligheid en Ruimte Limburg, Netherlands
Holger Schüttrumpf
Professor, IWW RWTH Aachen, Germany
Panellists
Rogelio Llanes Ribas
Director de la Oficina de Coordinación e Impulso de la Ejecución de las Ayudas, Spain
Cornelia Weigand
Head of District Authority Kreis Ahrweiler, Germany
Marie-France Beaufils
Président of CEPRI and former mayor and senate member, France
Philippe Godin
Mayor of Pepinster, Wallonia, Belgium
Daan Prevoo
Mayor of Valkenburg aan de Geul, Netherlands
Joris Gaens
Mayor of Voeren, Flanders, Belgium
Sabine Preiser-Marian
Former mayor Bad Münstereifel, Germany
Jörn Birkmann
Director Institute of Regional Development Planning (IREUS), University of Stuttgart, Germany
Post-flood recovery in the Vesdre Valley
Thomas Leroy
SPW SPOC Inondations 2021
François Paulus
SPW ARNE, directorate non-navigable rivers
Day 2 – Wednesday 15 April
Deeper dive on key topics and best practices in post-flood recovery and building back better in Europe
08:30
Reception and registration
09:00
Opening and welcome to workshop day 2
Workshop moderator: Dorien Leyers, Belgium
09:10
Plenary expert presentations
Speakers (max. 15 minutes each):
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Jordi Marin Abdilla, on critical infrastructure and recovery efforts, Generalitat Valenciana, Spain
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Nathalie Asselman, on post-flood recovery along the Meuse river, Deltares, Netherlands
-
Susanne Bell, on social and cultural aspects of the Ahr valley flood, Universität Bonn, Germany
-
Marco Beroš, on sustainable financing models in flood management, European Investment Bank, Luxembourg
10:15
Coffee and teabreak
10:40
Plenary expert presentations
Speakers (max. 15 minutes each):
- Jacques Teller, on urban design and spatial planning, Liège Université, Belgium
- Wouter Botzen, on insurances, household and business adaptation, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Claudia Berchtold, on the use of cohesion policy in disaster response & recovery, Fraunhofer FKIE, Germany
- Marie Evo, on the development of a community guide for preparing for post-flood recovery, CEPRI, France
11:45
Break-out working sessions: Identify best practices
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Critical infrastructure
-
Spatial planning and social vulnerabilities
-
Household and business adaptation
-
Crisis management and emergency planning
-
Financing and compensation
13:15
Bus transfer to Bad Neuenahr (including lunch on the bus)
14:30
Field visit: post-flood recovery in the Ahr valley
Guides: Holger Schüttrumpf, Lisa Burghardt and Lothar Kirschbauer
19:00
Joint dinner in Steigenberger Hotel Bad Neuenahr
Presenters
Dorien Leyers
Workshop moderator
Jordi Marin Abdilla
Generalitat Valenciana
Nathalie Asselman
Deltares, Netherlands
Jacques Teller
Université de Liège, Belgium
Susanne Bell
University of Bonn, Germany
Marco Beroš
European Investment Bank, Luxembourg
Wouter Botzen
Institute for Environmental Studies VU Amsterdam, Netherlands
Claudia Berchtold
Fraunhofer FKIE, Germany
Marie Evo
Executive director, CEPRI, France
Lisa Burghardt
IWW RWTH Aachen University, Germany
Lothar Kirschbauer
Hochschule Koblenz, Germany
Day 3 – Thursday 16 April
Drafting policy recommendations on the future of post-flood recovery and building back better in Europe
08:30
Reception and registration
09:00
Opening and welcome to workshop day 3
Workshop moderator: Dorien Leyers, Belgium
09:05
Welcome and interview
- Guido Orthen, Member of parliament Rhineland Palatinate (1-1 interview with Jan Leyers)
- Neofitos Arathymos, Mayor of local community Altenahr (welcome speech)
EN-DE interpretation available
09:45
Keynote presentations
Speakers (max. 15 minutes):
- Markus Becker, Executive Director Berthold Becker Büro für Ingenieur- und Tiefbau GmbH
- Teodoro Estrela Monreal, High official of the Júcar River Basin Authority, Valencia, and former director of Water in Spain
- Martin Schnell, President of the board, Zukunft Mittelahr AöR, Reconstruction and Project Development Company
- Hermann-Josef Pelgrim, Managing Director of the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler Reconstruction and Development Company
EN-DE interpretation available
10:45
Coffee- and teabreak
11:10
Break-out working sessions: Draft policy recommendations and next steps
12:10
Plenary feedback on break-out sessions
12:30
Workshop conclusions, follow-up and closure
- Jeroen Aerts, Prof. VU Amsterdam, Chair of JCAR ATRACE Scientific Programme Council
13:00
Bus transfer to Hotel Verviers / Liège CS (including lunch on the bus)
15:00
Arrival at Hotel Verviers / Liège CS
Welcome
Guido Orthen
Member of parliament Rhineland Palatinate
Dorien Leyers
Workshop moderator
Jan Leyers
Interviewer
Presenters
Markus Becker
Berthold Becker Büro für Ingenieur- und Tiefbau GmbH, Germany
Teodoro Estrela Monreal
Confederación Hidrográfica del Júcar, Spain
Martin Schnell
President of the board, Zukunft Mittelahr AöR, econstruction and Project Development Company
Hermann-Josef Pelgrim
Managing Director of the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler Reconstruction and Development Company
Jeroen Aerts
VU Amsterdam, Scientific Programme Council JCAR ATRACE
Venues
All event locations will be easily accessible, with organized bus transfers provided between the hotels and for the field trips to ensure a smooth and comfortable experience for all participants.
Day 1
The workshop will be at Van der Valk Hotel Verviers.
Day 2
The workshop will start at Van der Valk Hotel Verviers. In the afternoon we offer a bus transfer to the Ahr valley and Steigenberger Hotel Bad Neuenahr.
Day 3
The workshop will take place in Steigenberger Hotel Bad Neuenahr. In the afternoon we offer a bus transfer back to Verviers.
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