Informative, Competent, Up-to-date
The Flood Competence Center
The HKC is a registered association that brings together those affected by heavy rain and flooding, politicians, scientists and a wide range of flood protection stakeholders in a unique network. Through the dialogue that this creates, the HKC's work promotes local heavy rain and flood prevention and raises awareness. The HKC brings together science and practice in the spirit of holistic heavy rain and flood risk management, thereby promoting the sustainable development, provision and transfer of expertise.
The focus is on establishing and expanding information networks, as well as preparing, developing and implementing projects, research initiatives and studies on the sustainable, economical and, above all, practical handling of heavy rain and flooding. The results are to be made available to all interested parties, creating an optimal information and communication platform for all individuals and institutions involved and interested in heavy rain and flood risk management.
The HKC supports citizens
Heavy rain and flood prevention
How to protect my house properly
The brochure "So schütze ich mich und mein Haus – Starkregen und Hochwasser" (How to protect myself and my home – heavy rain and flooding) helps homeowners, tenants and building managers to identify flood risks and reduce them through targeted preventive measures. It provides practical advice on how buildings and properties can be better protected against the consequences of heavy rain and flooding through structural, organisational and insurance measures.
You can download the brochure in PDF format here (available only in German).
Risk communication FOR local authorities
Brochure for local authorities
The brochure "Überflutungsrisiken kommunizieren, Eigenvorsorge stärken – Für eine resiliente Kommune in Zeiten des Klimawandels (Communicating flood risks, strengthening personal preparedness – For a resilient community in times of climate change)” supports local authorities in communicating flood risks to and with citizens.
If you would like to download the brochure in PDF format, please use this link (only available in German).
If you would like to read the brochure as an interactive version, please use the desktop view.
Risk communication FOR local authorities
Brochure for local authorities
The brochure "Überflutungsrisiken kommunizieren, Eigenvorsorge stärken – Für eine resiliente Kommune in Zeiten des Klimawandels (Communicating flood risks, strengthening personal preparedness – For a resilient community in times of climate change)” supports municipal authorities in
communicating flood risks to and with citizens. If you would like to download the brochure in PDF format, please use this link.
(only available in German)
‘Bonn supports’ campaign
The City of Bonn and the HKC have joined forces to inform citizens in the Bonn area about potential flood risks through a poster advertising campaign. The website www.bonn-unter.info was set up for this purpose.
The core of the ‘Bonn supports’ project is to show how flood and heavy rain damage can be prevented through personal precautions.
dates & EVENTS
Here you will find upcoming dates & events of the HKC and related events of interest
02. July 2026
Conference Takes Stock Five Years After the 2021 Flood
Five years after the devastating flood of 2021, the academic conference “Five Years After the 2021 Flood – Changing Research Perspectives” will take place on 2–3 July 2026 at Koblenz University of Applied Sciences, Remagen Campus.
07. September 2026
TERRAenVISION 2026: International Conference on Nature-based Solutions
The international TERRAenVISION conference will take place at the University of Trier from 7 to 10 September 2026. The event brings together science, practice and politics to discuss nature-based solutions for agriculture, water and urban management, as well as climate and risk issues.
NEws At a glance
Here you will find news of the HKC and of related subjects of interest
New: Our Sachkundigen consultation hour
As supporting our experts is very important to us, we would like to expand this service in the new year. From January 2026, we will therefore be offering a new expert consultation hour for all active experts. The consultation hour will take place once a month, on the third Monday of each month, digitally from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It will be held in an open format, so prior registration is not required.
Winter break from 20.12.24 to 07.01.25
The office is taking a winter break and will therefore not be staffed from 19 December 2025 to 11 January 2026.
NRW and the Netherlands Extend Flood Protection Partnership
North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands have extended their cross-border cooperation on flood protection for another six years. NRW Environment Minister Oliver Krischer and Dutch Director-General Jaap Slootmaker signed the agreement at the German-Dutch Flood Protection Conference in Rees.
Review: HWNG workshop "Communicating the impact of flooding"
On 9 October 2025, the Hochwassernotgemeinschaft Rhein e. V. (HWNG Rhein) and cooperation partners such as the Stadtentwässerungsbetriebe Köln (StEB Köln) and the Deutsches Komitee Katastrophenvorsorge (DKKV) held a workshop in Cologne on the topic of "Communicating flood risk – How can
local authorities better raise awareness among those affected?".