Thematic Series: 20 years after Hurricane Katrina: Lessons Learned and Implemented in Flood Risk Management?

Special issue editors: Vana Tsimopoulou, Mathijs van Ledden, Jeremy Bricker

As we mark 20 years since Hurricane Katrina in August 2025, we invite contributions from a wide range of disciplines to explore the lessons learned and how they have transformed disaster risk management globally. Katrina was a defining moment, not only due to the scale of the disaster, but also because it occurred during the rise of social media, giving it unprecedented visibility. The extensive data and real-time coverage of the event sparked global collaboration and new research into managing extreme disasters.

While Katrina remains a landmark event, this issue also welcomes studies focused on other major water disasters like tsunamis, tropical storms and river floods, as long as they reflect the same spirit of transparency, shared learning, and global cooperation that emerged after Katrina.

We encourage submissions that explore the following areas:

• Infrastructure & engineering: Analysis of improvements in flood defenses, advances in more reliable inundation modelling of embanked river and coastal systems, reliability/risk analysis of multi-layer flood protection infrastructure systems, and disaster response interventions. Research on the integration of land-use planning and urban upgrading with flood protection and the challenges associated with infrastructure maintenance following large-scale disasters is also sought.
• Governance & policy: Critical evaluations of crisis governance structures, multi-level coordination, and the implementation of policies in response to water disasters. Insights into the effectiveness of communication, equity in reconstruction efforts, and lessons for future policy development are of particular interest.
• Community resilience & equity: Studies on the evolution of disaster risk management in vulnerable communities, with a focus on intergenerational learning, knowledge retention, and equity in exposure and recovery. Research exploring the intersection of socio-economic vulnerability and disaster risk exposure is encouraged.
• Nature-based solutions for flood protection: The role of nature-based solutions, such as restoration of wetlands and intertidal areas, in mitigating the impacts of large-scale disasters. Contributions that examine both the successes and limitations of these approaches in recent disaster contexts are welcome.

This special issue aims to foster a broad discussion on how the major flood disasters of the past two decades have shaped global practices in disaster risk reduction, resilience, and equitable recovery, while setting the stage for future innovations in disaster preparedness and response.

Prospective authors are invited to express their interest to submit by contacting the editors of this special issue in advance of the deadline:

Vana Tsimopoulou, HZ University of Applied Sciences, v.tsimopoulou [at] hz.nl

Mathijs van Ledden, World Bank Group, mathijsvanledden [at] gmail.com

Jeremy Bricker, University of Michigan, jeremydb [at] umich.edu

Deadline for submission: 31st May,