Flood disaster - Lessons from the flood: comprehensive flood protection urged
Three years after the flood disaster in North Rhine-Westfalen and Rhineland-Palatinate, the opposition in the Düsseldorf state parliament is calling for more proactive measures to strengthen protective and warning systems. "We need to strengthen dikes faster and expand the peg measurement network more quickly," demanded the environmental policy spokesperson of the SPD fraction, Rene Schneider. "At the dikes, we need faster planning and approval procedures."
Unfortunately, there was a lack of expertise in the planning departments and among the staff. "By selectively assigning civil servants, more reliability and continuity could be achieved here," proposed the SPD politician.
In the wake of the storm, 49 people had died alone in NRW on the night of July 14-15, 2021. Nationwide, there were over 180 fatalities. Damages to buildings and infrastructure amounted to billions.
Government achievements acknowledged
The CDU and Green government fractions reminded that the reconstruction had made significant progress since then. Over four billion Euros in reconstruction aid had been approved in NRW since then.
However, the FDP also criticized implementation deficits in disaster prevention. "Hundreds of new peg measurement stations must be built in all of NRW at small rivers and creeks, because in the areas with fragmented valleys with many small rivers and creeks, the great danger of landslides during prolonged rain events exists," emphasized the deputy Werner Pfeil. Otherwise, it would just be a matter of luck whether NRW would be hit by another such disaster or not.
The German Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) urged for comprehensive flood protection. "The renaturalization of our rivers and the creation of natural floodplains are essential to buffer flood peaks and support natural water runoff," explained Diana Nenz, water policy expert at NABU. The long-term solution lies in combining technical and natural measures intelligently. The Greens assured that such measures were already being implemented in NRW.
From the SPD's perspective, decision-makers forget disasters too quickly. "From initial apologies, too little comes," criticized Schneider. However, it could be expected that a flood disaster like 2021 would not be a once-in-a-lifetime event. The flood investigation committee of the state parliament was also urged to complete its clarification and present its lessons early before the next anniversary.
- The flood incident in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate three years ago was labeled as a 'century flood' by many experts.
- In response to the disaster, the government in North Rhine-Westphalia has initiated several projects to improve flood protection measures along the state's major rivers.
- The state of Rhineland-Palatinate also allocated funds for flood protection projects, recognizing the urgent need to prevent such incidents in the future.
- René Schneider, the SPD's environmental policy spokesperson in Düsseldorf's State Parliament, advocated for a more proactive approach to flood protection, including faster construction of dikes and expansion of peg measurement networks.
- The city of Düsseldorf, located in North Rhine-Westphalia, is particularly vulnerable to floods given its location along the Rhine River, making it crucial to invest in flood prevention measures.
- Another opposition party, the Greens, also called for a comprehensive approach to flood protection, combining technical solutions with the renaturalization of rivers and creation of natural floodplains to mitigate future disasters.
