The federal and state governments must massively expand flood protection

Berlin. In view of the flood disaster in southern Germany, the German Association of Cities has called on the federal and state governments to increase spending on flood protection. “Floods, such as those currently occurring in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, are occurring at an increasingly rapid pace. Germany must prepare better for this,” the general director of the Association of Cities, Helmut Dedy, told the Editorial Network Germany (RND). Emergency services need the best possible equipment and infrastructure. “The federal and state governments must therefore again significantly expand funding for flood and disaster protection – permanently and not on an ad hoc basis through special programs.”

Dedy pointed to the growing expenditure by cities and municipalities on measures such as the construction of dams, greening and irrigation, which are becoming necessary due to global warming. “Climate adaptation will become a permanent municipal task,” he told RND. Cities should better prepare for extreme weather events and adapt their infrastructure to climate change. “That costs enormous amounts of money: more green spaces, less sealing and the expansion of retention basins for floods or heavy rainfall.”

In the current discussion about mandatory insurance against flood damage, the municipal leader was skeptical. “It is important that insurance is taken out for more houses than before,” Dedy told RND. However, compulsory insurance faces major obstacles. “Therefore, the insurer’s suggestion could be a good option to only offer homeowners insurance with natural hazard insurance in the future. Customers will then have to actively decide whether they do not want natural hazard insurance.”

CDU calls for a cross-party plan for climate adaptation

In view of the flood disaster, the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag is also looking at the measures that Germany must take to prepare for climate change. CDU vice-chairman Andreas Jung called for a cross-party plan for climate adaptation measures. “The achievement of climate goals must be ensured and a climate adaptation action plan must be quickly implemented in partnership between the federal, state and local governments,” the CDU climate policy expert told RND. “This is a national task and must now be tackled as a broad, collaborative effort across party lines. It is about shared responsibility for our country.”

Jung criticized the federal government’s previous climate adaptation plans. “So far, the opposite has happened with the traffic light: sustainable climate adaptation, just like efficient climate protection, is simply postponed until the future.” Regarding climate adaptation, the traffic light has so far only presented a shell without content, the CDU politician criticized with regard to the Climate Adaptation Act.

“There was no initiative for a broader understanding. In her law, she merely announces a climate adaptation strategy for September 2025,” Jung added, calling for the development of “guidelines for states and municipalities for a precautionary climate adaptation strategy.” The traffic light must advance the strategy and look for a broad basis for an action plan for climate adaptation.