Living with climate disasters: Expert talk by FOCUS online Earth in the Ahr Valley on the 3rd anniversary of the flood

FOCUS online Earth discussed in the Ahr valley. 3 years after the flood, experts and those affected meet to talk about Germany's handling of climate disasters.

Three years have already passed since the devastating flood disaster in the Ahr valley. It was only in June of this year that floods once again demonstrated how important it is to learn the right lessons from the Ahr floods. To mark the anniversary, FOCUS online Earth has therefore invited experts and those affected to the FOCUS online Earth climate office in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler for the talk "Living with climate disasters: Where does Germany stand three years after the Ahr flood?". 

For those who were affected themselves at the time, the anniversary is particularly emotional: the mayor of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Guido Orthen, revealed on the podium that emotions are currently on a rollercoaster. Winegrower Meike Näkel also recalled how she had to save herself from the masses of water by climbing a tree on the night of the flood - and at the same time looks to the future: she also sees the reconstruction of her destroyed winery as an opportunity to rethink her business and implement climate adaptation measures. That is why she is now building on a new plot of land: at a flood-safe distance from the Ahr.

For Rhineland-Palatinate Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD), it is clear that Germany must prepare for extreme weather such as tornadoes and heavy rain. Against this background, he believes that compulsory insurance is "no longer a distant prospect". The panel discussion moderated by Simon Knolmayer focused on solutions for flood protection and overcoming the climate crisis. Climate adaptation manager Anne-Lorraine Ring from Zweibrücken provided concrete examples of synergies in climate-adapted cities: For example, that green roofs not only create more biodiversity, but also cooling and flood protection.

The FOCUS online Earth brand is dedicated to the climate crisis and how to tackle it. Part of the team works from the climate office in the Ahr valley. Approaches are being developed there during reconstruction after the devastating floods that have the potential to become a model for climate adaptation in Germany.