Chancellor Scholz has promised the flood areas federal aid to repair the damage. But the debate about more money for future disaster protection has only just begun.
Land under in many parts of Germany – in the German flood areas the main thing is still to secure dikes and prevent the worst. But at the latest when the water has drained away, the damage that remains will be assessed – and who will pay for it. And the question is likely to be whether Germany needs to do more to protect against disasters in view of the climate crisis and increasing extreme weather events.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz talks to a helper from the DLRG in the flood area.
Scholz assures help
During his visit to the flood areas in Lower Saxony, Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not bring any concrete promises from the federal government for financial aid, but he assured the states, districts and municipalities of help. It was worth it that Germany invested a lot in security infrastructure. He called for further prevention in the future: “When the flood is gone, it can come back.” The necessary investments must therefore be made with foresight.
Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD), who accompanied the Chancellor on the visit, did not yet want to formulate any demands for support from the federal government. “Right now we are fighting an acute crisis,” he said. “After that we will certainly deal with the other questions: What damage was caused? What options are there for help?”
Klingbeil and city council for “massive expansion”
SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, whose constituency is in the flood zone, looked ahead and spoke out in the Berlin “Tagesspiegel” for a “massive” expansion of disaster protection. The flood must have consequences for political decisions. The technical relief agency, civil defense, fire departments and other voluntary aid organizations need “the best and most modern equipment to protect the country,” he continued. Klingbeil also warned of the consequences of man-made climate change, “which is causing such weather extremes more and more frequently.”
The city council also spoke out and demanded significantly more money from the federal and state governments for disaster control. The emergency services in the flood areas deserve the best possible equipment and infrastructure, said managing director Helmut Dedy to the dpa news agency. “The federal and state governments must significantly increase funding for flood and disaster protection again – permanently and not on an ad hoc basis through special programs. Too much has been saved in disaster protection in the past.”
Greens point out Climate Adaptation Act
The Greens had already called for additional investments in flood protection a few days ago. “Where cities have direct access to the water, we need additional investments in technical flood protection such as dikes and retention basins,” said the environmental policy spokesman for the Green parliamentary group, Jan-Niclas Gesenhues, to the “Rheinische Post”. “From now on, flood prevention and climate adaptation must be taken into account in all planning.”
In Germany too, “floods and floods are becoming more frequent and severe,” said the Green politician. “So far we are not sufficiently prepared against such consequences of the climate crisis.” Nature itself and healthy river floodplains would help best. In addition, the Bundestag passed the first German climate adaptation law a few weeks ago. “It obliges federal, local and state governments to do more to prevent flooding.”
The crux of the matter: financing
The Climate Adaptation Act provides for binding strategies and measures to be prescribed by the federal, state and local governments. This will create a strategic framework for preventive climate adaptation at all administrative levels in Germany for the first time, the law states. Specifically, the federal government is committed to presenting an adaptation strategy with measurable goals.
Financing is a sticking point in the law – it does not contain any specific regulations. The federal government cannot finance municipal projects directly; so far this has only been possible for model projects. But measures to adapt to the climate – such as relocating dikes – can take 20 years. It is planned that the law will come into force in 2024.