Env min proposes strategy for protecting water supply from climate change

The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) is calling for major investment to modernise Germany’s water sector and adapt it to climate change. Three years of drought has made the issue of water management particularly pertinent in Germany. The federal government must support states and municipalities through direct funding and through the development and creation of financing instruments, according to a new draft paper outlining the BMU’s national water strategy presented by environment minister Svenja Schulze.

The BMU is proposing federal assistance of 1 billion euros over the next 10 years to support states and municipalities in improving the ecological status of water bodies and increasing their resistance to climate change. The funding would be used for renaturation measures, the removal of obstacles for migratory species, the shading of water bodies against warming and the recovery or creation of natural reservoirs as a precaution against drought. Infrastructure, land use and urban development also need to be better adapted to the consequences of climate change, Schulze said.

The BMU’s national water strategy aims to achieve the sustainable use of water by 2050. The action plan includes 57 measures that are to be gradually implemented by 2030. “When it comes to water, Germany is facing enormous challenges,” Schulze said. “Climate change is increasingly calling into question old certainties. Three years of drought have shown that Germany's abundance of water can no longer be taken for granted.” Schulze had announced the development of a national water strategy last year, a collaborative effort between government, researchers, water industry representatives and local authorities.