Extreme weather and climate change
Supreme Civil Protection: Some areas in Germany should not be resettled
An aerial photo of the village of Insul shows the extent of the flood damage on July 14 and 15, 2021 on the Ahr. BBK President Ralph Tiesler believes that certain areas in Germany can no longer be settled because of such weather events.
© Boris Roessler / DPA
Because of extreme weather events as a result of climate change, Ralph Tiesler, President of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, warns that some areas in Germany “should not be resettled”. You have to learn that “crisis is part of everyday life”.
The President of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), Ralph Tiesler, believes that certain areas in Germany can no longer be settled due to extreme weather events. “As a civil protection advocate, I say that some areas should not be resettled due to climate change and the acute threat of storms and floods. This question also arises on the coasts,” said Tiesler against the background of the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine -Westfalen the newspapers of the Funke media group (Wednesday). “And there is no place or area in Germany where we don’t have to take a close look,” Tiesler made clear.
BBK boss: “Have to learn that the crisis is part of everyday life”
“It is clear that we are living in increasingly uncertain times. Crises are becoming more and more frequent. Corona has captivated us for several years now, climate change will pose even more challenges for us in the future and there is a war in Ukraine,” said the top civil protection officer. Tiesler called for a new awareness of the crisis among the population. “The crisis mode must now be part of general awareness, we must learn that the crisis is part of everyday life,” said Tiesler.
Tiesler wants to carry out more disaster exercises nationwide. The population is not seen as extras, but as “players on an equal footing,” he told the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday). He therefore thinks it makes sense to “prepare together for justified crisis scenarios with exercises”. “We have to discuss exactly what that could look like,” added Tiesler.
Tiesler sees many challenges for civil protection
Tiesler has been in office since mid-June. He also called for more money and staff in civil protection. This year, the BBK had half a billion euros available and 112 additional jobs were approved. “The tasks have grown dramatically with the recent crises – floods, droughts, Covid and now the Ukraine war. A further increase in financial resources and personnel will be necessary,” said Tiesler.
In the flood disaster a year ago, at least 135 people died in Rhineland-Palatinate and 49 in North Rhine-Westphalia. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) wants to speak on civil protection on Wednesday in Berlin on the occasion of the anniversary together with Tiesler and the President of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, Gerd Friedsam.