South West Region Faces Potential Flooding Threat, According to Environmental Alerts
In light of the increasing threat posed by floods, particularly those classified as century floods, the German Environmental Aid (DUH) has criticized the federal states for not doing enough to protect people at risk. According to DUH, nearly 54,600 residential addresses in Baden-Württemberg and an estimated 65,517 in Bavaria could potentially face the brunt of such floods.
The climate crisis is a significant factor influencing the frequency of century floods. DUH's Federal Managing Director, Sascha Müller-Kraenner, has emphasized the need for more focus on nature-based flood protection as a crucial part of urgently needed adaptation and precautionary measures.
DUH advocates for nature-based flood protection approaches such as restoring and expanding natural floodplains, reforestation and sustainable forest management, re-meandering of rivers, creating wetlands and retention areas, and encouraging soil and land use practices that improve water absorption and reduce surface runoff. These measures aim to work with natural hydrological processes rather than relying solely on hard infrastructure like dikes and dams.
The flood risk index, calculated by the DUH, places Baden-Württemberg second among Germany's federal states, with a score of 7.96, while Bavaria holds the highest score of 8.29. This indicates a particularly high risk in these regions due to their geographic and climatic conditions.
The DUH's calculations also reveal that Baden-Württemberg has the second-highest potential for flood damage, with 4.72 percent of its area designated as flood risk zones. The emphasis is on providing rivers and streams with more space, retaining water in forests, meadows, and wetlands for flood protection.
DUH warns that the occurrence of century floods may become more frequent in the future and has called for more proactive measures to address this increased risk. For precise and official DUH recommendations, consulting their latest reports or statements directly would be necessary.
The climate crisis, a significant factor in the rise of century floods, necessitates a focus on natural-science-based flood protection measures, as advocated by the German Environmental Aid (DUH). These measures, which include restoring and expanding natural floodplains, reforestation, and creating wetlands, aim to work with natural hydrological processes to reduce the impact of potential floods on residential addresses in regions like Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, where risk levels are particularly high due to their geographic and climatic conditions.
