Ahrtal after flood: Mayor warns of inadequate flood protection

Ahrtal after flood: Mayor warns of inadequate flood protection

Even four years after the devastating flood disaster, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler continues to fight for a return to normality. Mayor Guido Orthen (CDU) expresses concern about the insufficient funds for flood protection and calls for accelerated reconstruction. In particular, the approximately 135 deaths, 75 of whom come from Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, urge us to hurry. The destruction caused by the flood was devastating, four churches and nine schools were destroyed and classes are still running in makeshift arrangements.

The estimated total damage to public buildings is 1.4 billion euros, but less than a third of this amount has been paid out so far. Many of those affected continue to live in tiny houses and are faced with the challenges of slowly returning to a normal life. Orthen advocates a special zone with fewer bureaucratic hurdles, but this has not yet been implemented.

Flood protection as a central challenge

The question of flood protection is a top priority in the Ahr Valley. Local flood protection is not financed by the reconstruction fund, and the costs for the urgently needed 17 retention basins are estimated at two billion euros. Mayor Orthen criticizes the slow application and approval processes, which are hindering progress.

The region's ability to work together will be emphasized at a memorial day, while Prime Minister Alexander Schweitzer is expected to attend. While the external damage in the Ahr Valley has largely been repaired, Orthen hopes for positive effects of the solidarity that was experienced during the disaster. He is optimistic that the Ahr Valley will emerge from this difficult phase in the coming years, both infrastructurally and mentally strengthened.

Sustainable reconstruction in focus

As part of the KAHR collaborative research project, a new practical guide entitled “After the flood disaster: opportunity for change” was published. This project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and accompanies the reconstruction in the Ahr Valley and North Rhine-Westphalia. The guide aims to support communities that have already been affected by flooding through recommendations and successful strategies.

The leitmotif of the document is “Building Back Better” (BBB) ​​and calls for reconstruction that promotes sustainable and resilient structures. The guide focuses on three central areas of action: reconstruction, risk assessment and reduction, and the resilience of societies. These practice-oriented recommendations are aimed at affected municipalities that want to invest in climate-resilient settlement development.

The German Institute for Urban Studies (Difu), the largest urban research institute in the German-speaking region, provides scientific monitoring and support for selected pilot municipalities. Difu was founded in 1973 and is located in Cologne. The institute works on a wide range of topics for cities, municipal associations and planning communities in order to find sustainable solutions in the reconstruction after the flood disaster.

Further details can be found on the following pages: Focus reports and Difu informed.