Civil protection - State parliament debates the final report of the Enquete
In the state parliament debate on the final report of the Enquete Commission on the flood disaster, CDU chairman Gerd Schreiner called for more speed. "We are still far too ill-prepared for such a catastrophe," said the MP in the plenary session in Mainz on Thursday. Unlike the majority of the committee, his parliamentary group is therefore not in favor of voluntary, but rather mandatory water and soil associations for local authorities. "We need them by state law - and where state borders are crossed - by state treaty."
Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD) and Environment Minister Katrin Eder (Greens) praised the work of the Enquete and its final report with numerous measures. "We will also implement it with great commitment," promised Eder. "The implementation of the results will increase in relevance from year to year," emphasized the Green politician with regard to climate change. Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the regions in Germany that is disproportionately affected by warming and extreme events such as drought and heavy rainfall.
"The report is already having an effect," said Ebling. It is already being implemented in both departments of the state government. The SPD politician cited new helicopters, the new state disaster authority from 2025 and better staff and quality training for volunteers as examples. Eder also listed the revised flash flood hazard maps and the future water plan.
"But we still have a lot to do," said Ebling. The courageous commitment of the municipal level is also an important prerequisite for "making great strides forward in a reasonable amount of time".
"The Enquete Commission has come to an end, but the work continues," said Lea Heidbreder, Chair of the committee. The report is a political basis for action and work. The Green politician warned: "We are already experiencing the consequences of the climate crisis in the present." And extreme weather conditions would continue to increase.
"The state government has already done a lot," said Heidbreder. Among the proposals for action in the final report, she emphasized the importance of local alarm and emergency plans as well as better risk communication with the population. "We need greater awareness-raising."
"The night of the floods will remain in our collective memory forever," said the SPD chairman and deputy chairman of the Enquete, Christopher Spies. In addition to regular warning days for all state institutions, his group believes that mandatory, recurring drills are particularly important. The aim is to ensure that any mistakes that are made are seen as helpful and will be taken forward.
FDP MP Marco Weber said that the terrible events of the night of the floods in July 2021 had "rewritten the word disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate". "The topic has shaped my whole life." The Enquete report must be continuously developed and should not be misunderstood as a handbook. It is the beginning.
The deputy parliamentary group leader of the opposition Free Voters, Helge Schwab, emphasized the need for public shelters. "We must learn about dangers again from an early age." The Enquete Commission had taken on work that should have been done by the Ministry of the Interior, said Schwab. Its final report was a helpful work that could also serve as a handbook.
Information on the Enquete Commission
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- The Enquete Commission's final report on the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate has sparked a debate in the state parliament, with CDU chairman Gerd Schreiner advocating for mandatory water and soil associations.
- Michael Ebling (SPD), the Rhineland-Palatinate's Interior Minister, and Katrin Eder (Greens), the Minister for the Environment, commended the report's numerous measures, pledging to implement them with commitment.
- Ebling pointed out that the report is already being implemented, citing new helicopters, a new state disaster authority, and improved volunteer training as examples.
- Eder highlighted the revised flash flood hazard maps and the future water plan as aspects of the report that her department is actively addressing.
- Christopher Spies, the SPD chairman and deputy chairman of the Enquete Commission, stressed the importance of regular warning days and mandatory recurring drills to prevent future disasters.
- The Free Voters' deputy parliamentary group leader, Helge Schwab, urged the establishment of public shelters and criticized the Enquete Commission for not addressing the topic earlier, which should have been the Ministry of the Interior's responsibility.
- Marco Weber, an FDP MP, agreed that the Enquete report is a crucial starting point but emphasized that it should not be perceived as a handbook or a definitive solution to the issue of disasters.
- The final report of the Enquete Commission has brought significant attention to the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and its aftermath, particularly in parts of the Ahr and Mainz regions, which continue to grapple with the effects of the disaster and the necessity for disaster control.
Source: www.stern.de
