SPD calls for commitment to storm surge protection on the Baltic coast
The SPD parliamentary group in the Schleswig-Holstein state parliament wants to hold the state government accountable for protecting the Baltic Sea coast from storm surges. According to the SPD parliamentary group's motion, the state parliament should establish that deficiencies in the regional dykes were already known to the state government before the storm surge on October 20 and 21. "The state parliament notes that against this backdrop, the state government should have taken a more active role in coastal protection."
The state government should present a concept on how and in what timeframe the deficiencies in the regional dykes can be rectified. In addition, regional dykes are to be identified that are to be rededicated as state protection dykes.
The SPD parliamentary group's spokesperson for coastal protection policy, Thomas Hölck, blames the state government for the storm flood damage. "The storm floods revealed the full extent of the deficiencies in the regional dykes." The deficiencies in the regional dykes must be rectified as quickly as possible. "Anything else would be negligent, because this will not be the last storm surge in Schleswig-Holstein," said Hölck. This would also include strengthening the responsible state agency in terms of personnel.
The SPD advocates for the state government to involve civil protection measures in their strategy to address the identified issues in the regional dykes, ensuring the safety of the Baltic Sea coast. In the event of future storm surges, it's crucial for the state government to ensure the competence of the responsible agency by reinforcing its staff in the area of civil protection.
Source: www.dpa.com
