Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Media ecologist Birgit Schneider on flood disaster


The flood disasters in Germany are shocking because they are so destructive and vital. Some areas have been greatly affected. Is it really that the early warning system is not enough, or, most importantly, does it lack the ability to imagine such events?

Gelsdorf Newspaper

“Frankfurt Allgemeine Zeitung” thematic column editor

Anna Walmer

Editor of the special column of the Berlin Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

The two come together. I believe that it is impossible to imagine such a disaster as very humane. You must have experienced such a thing before you can imagine it. The Germans did not know that their locality had become so violent. At the same time, climate research predicts an increase in heavy rain events. Therefore, it is correct to ask what should be done to better prepare the locals.

Do you think this experience will look at your head climate change Sustainable change?

Explaining flood It shows how human intervention and natural events are intertwined. So, have we experienced floods now or have we felt the effects of climate change? Yes Yes. This incident can be traced back to global causes, such as changes in rapids. At the same time, a local error occurred in the surface seal. As climate change evolves, it turns out that societies most affected by climate change can best imagine what climate change means. So far, we have mainly associated this experience with the society of the global south. It is also very close to us now, and our imagination has not planned its place of residence. Sensory perception of climate change was not possible here before-now it is possible.

Birgit Schneider, Media Ecologist, Potsdam


Birgit Schneider, Media Ecologist, Potsdam
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Image: Iris Janke


So, when we see photos of the current floods in China, does it no longer seem so far away?

This is also complicated by the global inequality in the image politics of newspapers and other media. People’s vulnerability varies according to where they live. In German reports from North Rhine-Westphalia or Rhineland-Palatinate, people see despair in front of their lost property after the flood. Or politicians who pace and help in these places. You can see the actors, although there is a lot of confusion. Not only are we accustomed to images of flood disasters, such as those from Bangladesh, they also portray people more strongly as victims who are submerged in water. German citizens can only be seen in private photos on social media. The actors here, the victims there: this is part of the disaster image and brings the experience of comparability closer.



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