The ruins of a residential building destroyed by the flood not far from the Ahr in Altenburg.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin Droughts, heavy rain, floods and inundations – they are considered extreme weather events, but are occurring more and more frequently in Germany. According to experts, however, their effects are still underestimated. “Urban planners, politicians and industry are obviously not yet aware of the drama,” says Uli Paetzel, President of the German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA).
The consequences of extreme weather conditions are already immense. They cost hundreds of lives and have caused 80 billion euros in damage in Germany over the past four years, as a study by the federal government shows – above all the flood disaster in 2021 and the drought summers of 2018 and 2019.
The water management association DWA therefore calls for the restoration of near-natural habitats, urban development that is adapted to high water and flooding, and closed water cycles to minimize waste.
Although the groundwater level is only in some regions and not dropped across the board in Germany, inevertheless, action must be taken now. “Otherwise we would experience competition for drinking water in one place or another” – also in Germany, says Paetzel. This could lead to rationing of drinking water.
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The drought monitor from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research shows that there is hardly any water left in the upper layers of the earth that the plants can absorb with their roots. According to the German Environment Agency, in June alone there was 25 percent less precipitation than usual.
Olaf in der Beek, climate policy spokesman for the FDP parliamentary group, says: “We simply have to accept that the resources we use are finite.” One can be sure that water supplies will be replenished. If the groundwater level were to fall too much in individual regions, it would be “more than problematic”, says in der Beek.
Just a year ago, the Ahr swept away parts of downtown Bad Neuenahr – today there is a drought.
(Photo: dpa)
Paetzel criticizes that although action plans have been initiated by politicians, the danger is still underestimated.
In der Beek, who represented the environment for his party in the coalition negotiations, contradicts Paetzel. Climate protection played a large part in the negotiations. “We all looked at faces that were fully aware of the problem that we had to act,” says the FDP climate politician.
77 measures for clean drinking water
The then Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) had already announced a new “National Water Strategy” in 2021. But as Schulze’s successor Steffi Lemke (Greens) has now announced, the strategy should not be decided in the cabinet until the end of the year.
With 77 measures, the federal government wants to ensure “that in 30 years, sufficient high-quality and affordable drinking water will be available anytime and anywhere in Germany”.
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The measures in the draft law include securing and expanding water reservoirs, unsealing areas, digitized water management and cleaning water from chemicals and pollutants.
In addition to the water strategy, the federal government wants to launch the four billion euro “Natural Climate Protection” action plan in autumn. In the future, this should primarily promote climate adaptation measures. State Secretary for the Environment Stefan Tidow (Greens) says: “More and more cities and communities are getting involved in climate adaptation.”
The main reason for this was the flood. The programs are now to be bundled as a result of the action plan. However, the coalition has not yet agreed on which measures should be financed with the four billion euros provided.
More: With these measures, Germany wants to mitigate the effects of extreme weather