climate change - New Water Laws - The land should become climate-friendlier
The Schleswig-Holstein state government intends to make adjustments to the Landeswassergesetz to make the land more climate-resilient. "Heat, drought, heavy rain: The climate crisis poses ever greater challenges to Schleswig-Holstein's water management," said Landes-Umweltminister Tobias Goldschmidt (Greens) at a press conference.
With the legislative amendments, adjustments will be made to valves to better protect the coastline in the north and manage water resources more effectively. The government also intends to draw lessons from the storm flood in the previous October, as the minister noted.
An initial draft of the legislative amendments was approved by the cabinet on Tuesday in the last session before the summer break, according to the Environment Ministry. Afterwards, the draft should be heard by the interest groups, and then revised by the Ministry again. After a further consideration in the cabinet, the law is to be submitted to the parliament. The goal is for the legislative amendments to take effect in 2025.
Coastal Protection
In the amendment to the Landeswassergesetz, approximately overriding public interest for coastal protection structures is to be written down, according to the Environment Ministry. "We have repeatedly had the problem that measures take a long time because property rights according to the Constitution are very high," said Goldschmidt.
An individual property owner or a single property owner can hold up such protective measures - however, the property of others, which is not protected, suffers. "Overriding public interest is therefore there to ensure that we come through the approval procedures more quickly and legally," explained the minister.
Moreover, there is to be a notification obligation for the operators of flood-endangered camping sites and water sports harbors. This allows these parties to bring their boats and mobile facilities like camping trailers safely in the storm flood season.
Warning for Heavy Rain
Moreover, heavy rain maps are to be anchored in the law. Based on these maps, residents can make risk analyses and take precautions, for example, how deep a building lies and how endangered it is by heavy rain events, said Goldschmidt. The maps are to be created by the municipalities. Therefore, it is to be allowed for municipalities to include the measures for precaution, such as the construction of water retention basins, in sewage charges. This supports municipalities in financing.
The state receives the opportunity for a regulatory ordinance through the legislative amendment. Therefore, municipalities can be obliged to develop water concepts, according to the Environment Minister. This not only concerns measures before rainfall, but also the water supply in general. The municipalities must henceforth deal with how water needs can be met in dry periods and how water that has been retained can be retrieved.
Increase in State Fee
For the citizens of Schleswig-Holstein, the legislative amendment will also lead to an increase in the state water fee. This fee will be adjusted according to inflation, resulting in additional costs of up to 5.40 Euro per month for a four-person household, explained Umweltminister Goldschmidt. This generates approximately seven million Euro per year, which is to be used for water retention in the country.
- The proposed amendments to the Schleswig-Holstein's Landeswassergesetz aim to enhance coastal protection, as stated by the State-Umweltminister Tobias Goldschmidt.
- The State government intends to include an overriding public interest for coastal protection structures in the amended Landeswassergesetz to expedite approval processes.
- The amendment also includes a notification obligation for operators of flood-endangered camping sites and water sports harbors to ensure the safety of their boats and facilities during storm floods.
- Under the amendment, heavy rain maps will be anchored in the law, allowing residents to analyze risks and take precautions, such as preparing for heavy rain events and floods.
- The legislative amendment will result in an increase in the state water fee for Schleswig-Holstein citizens, contributing approximately seven million Euro per year towards water retention initiatives.
