Slowing construction progress: Bavaria's development of flood control areas

Inundation Overwhelms Area - Bavaria's progress in constructing flood polders is becoming sluggish.

The Bavarian government has been developing seven huge flood detention basins to guard against severe flooding for over two decades. Nevertheless, merely two of these tasks have been finished thus far. Now, Environmental Minister Thorsten Glauber (Free Voters) wants to quicken the process. Glauber's party leader, Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger, on the other hand, asserted that these Danube flood detention basins would have been ineffectual during the current calamity.

The Environmental Ministry has verified that the Weidachwiesen flood detention basin is functioning and was even utilized recently. The Riedensheim flood detention basin is ready for use.

Glauber: "Bavarian flood detention basin program will be completed"

This year's schedule for nine managed flood detention basins along the Danube will be carried out, Glauber stated in Munich on Wednesday. "Bavaria supports a flood detention basin chain along the Danube for extreme floods. Since my election in 2018, I have advocated for the planned flood detention basin chain," Glauber remarked, going on to say, "The flood detention basin program will be realized." Flood detention basins act as an 'emergency brake' during a disastrous flood.

Flood detention basins are places enclosed by dikes and can be submerged when extreme flood events take place. There is presently criticism directed at the Free Voters leader Hubert Aiwanger. He previously opposed 'monster highways' and 'mad flood detention basins.' When the CSU and Free Voters formed their initial coalitions in 2018, they deleted the anticipated large flood detention basins in Bertoldsheim and Eltheim/Woerthhof, which were strongly opposed by local inhabitants. Aiwanger currently represents the Free Voters, and the state administration as a whole is being accused of having reduced flood mitigation strategies. In 2021, the CSU/FW coalition rectified its decision and increased the flood detention basin strategies to nine places.

Aiwanger: "The flood detention basins were ineffective in the current flood crisis"

On Wednesday, Aiwanger stated that the flood detention basins had not aided in the current flooding disruption. If there had been more flood detention basins on the Danube, they would probably not have been used, he informed the radio program BR24. The primary harm had occurred on lesser waterways before the Danube, instead of directly on the Danube. Furthermore, the set-up Riedensheim flood detention basin was not utilized at all.

Glauber pointed out that the controlled flood detention basins had been formulated for a scenario that has not yet been achieved in the current circumstances on the Danube. The Riedensheim flood detention basin was kept offline during the flood, but was not inundated in the present event.

Both the Free Voters and Prime Minister Markus Soeder (CSU) rebutted accusations that Bavaria is doing insufficient work in relation to flood mitigation. "Since 2001, we have spent 4 billion euros on flood protection, and an additional 2 billion will be invested by 2030. And every year, we spend 1 billion on climate protection," Soeder declared after Wednesday's cabinet gathering.

Soeder's reference to 2001 refers to the 'Flood Action Program 2020' announced by former Minister of the Environment Werner Schnappauf (CSU) about 23 years ago: on May 8, 2001. A momentous Easter flood event in 1999 provided the backdrop for this announcement. Since then, the state government has invested twice the amount previously envisioned in flood protection, totaling about 8.6 billion euros.

Flood mitigation strategies have been refined in various municipalities, embankments have been returned to their original positions, firefighting equipment has been purchased, the embankment of the Sylvenstein reservoir's dam at the upper reaches of the Isar is being raised to shield cities like Bad Tölz, Munich, and Freising from ensuing floods, and many other advancements have been made.

However, the production of flood meadows has been stagnating - and it is these meadows that are intended to shield Bavaria from the dreaded extreme flood disaster on the Danube. The delays are attributable to local resistance. "Governing is no amusement, so one must behave accordingly," remarked Söder about this. Glauber emphasized, "I'm counting on collaborating with those on the ground to implement the respective places."

The threat of a significant flood has been more evident over the past two decades. A reinsurer known as Munich Re records various catastrophic events worldwide. It has revealed that both the frequency and intensity of sizable floods are escalating. "We are concerned about the safety of 120,000 people along the Danube and a potential harm totaling more than 9 billion euros," states Environment Minister and flood meadow promoter Glauber. This number is a 2018 projection for the maximum damage scenario.

The danger along the Danube is also increasing due to another reason: more and more people are living along the waterway. Between 1994 and 2014, the populace increased by approximately 10 percent, and additional development is projected between 2014 and 2034, according to the State Office for the Environment's flood meadow report.

Introduction
The Bavarian State Government's Efforts to Create Flood Detention Basins to Protect Against Extreme Flooding
Two Decades of Efforts, Two Realized Projects
Environment Minister Thorsten Glauber Wants to Expedite the Progress
Flood Retention Basins That Are Operational and Ready for Use
Criticism Against Hubert Aiwanger, Leader of the Free Voters
The Situation's Status Quo on the Danube and Other Rivers
Dagner: The Flood Retention Basins Were Useless in the Recent Crisis
Commentary from Glauber about the Flood Retention Basins
Money and Investment Spent on Flood Protection
Flood Mitigation Progress In Different Regions
The Future of Flood Mitigation Remains Extremely Important
Conclusion

For years, many municipalities near the Danube and its tributaries have chosen to designate areas at risk of flooding for development. Environmentalists and insurers both argue that building in flood zones is pointless and leads to excessive expenses and tragic consequences when a flood does occur. The German Insurance Association (GDV) advocates against this and urges a complete ban on construction in such areas throughout the country. However, Söder disagrees.

The Danube has experienced a significant loss of its natural floodplain since the 19th century. A document dated about six years ago states that, "Between Neu-Ulm and Straubing, more than 300 million cubic meters of retention capacity have been lost in the past two centuries." In comparison, there were already numerous flood meadows on the Rhine and Elbe during this time. The conclusion is clear: "It would be wise to start the flood meadow program in this region as soon as possible."

Hitting the 2020 target for polderization was one of the projects the state government, led by the CSU until 2018 in partnership with the Free Voters, promised but never delivered on time. Other ambitious promises include an accessible Bavaria by 2023 and a debt-free Bavaria by 2030. The latter was postponed long ago. The goal of constructing 10,000 apartments by Söder by 2025 remains a possibility, but only a portion of the housing has been built so far. Bavaria's commitment to becoming climate neutral by 2040 is set, but experts believe the goal set by the federal government, 2045, will be quite challenging to reach.