Germany’s municipalities have to arm themselves against heat and flash floods

Garching A small lake on which three water fountains dance. Willows and spruces are reflected on the surface – and the contours of Lars Dücker. He rocks in his brown leather shoes on a stone step on the bank and looks out over the water. “Last year it only rained for days. That was a real endurance test for the lake. For a moment we were worried that it would flood our gastro” – Dücker points to the company restaurant behind him.

Like the artificial lake and 600 trees, it is part of the “Business Campus Munich-Garching”, an area of ​​more than 18 hectares in the north of the state capital. Employees from companies such as BMW or the Technical University work there in white and gray high-rise buildings under green roofs. Almost half of the campus consists of water or greenery – this is exotic compared to other commercial areas, which are mostly concreted over.