Heavy rain and flood: Elb-Auen urgently challenged!

Heavy rain and flood: Elb-Auen urgently challenged!

The Elbe, a river that has already become the headlines due to dramatic flood events and climate change! On a festive Elbe drive to celebrate the 30th birthday of the Bund Auerzentrum in Lenzen, prominent environmental representatives recognized the irreplaceable importance of floodplain landscapes. These important flood areas not only act as a water reservoir in drought times, but also offer valuable habitat for flora and fauna.

But the alarm bells ring: too few meadows! Decades of interventions in the river courses to improve shipping have catastrophic consequences: the risk of flooding increases with every heavy rain event! "70 percent of all Elbe dike are now too low again," warns Brandenburg's Environment Minister Axel Vogel. He reveals that the dikes, once built for lower levels, now have to suffer from the new assessment limit of 7.99 meters.

New project for Auen-Renaturierung

A bright spot is in sight! Thanks to positive evaluations of past flood protection measures, such as the dyke withdrawal in the Lenzener Elbtalaue, the Bund Auerzentrum starts a promising new project. When presenting a funding notice of over 410,000 euros to Meike Kleinwächter, it becomes clear that not only the flood problem is tackled here, but also promoted the preservation and development of outer forests. "We combine flood protection with floodplain development," said a determined representative of the federal government.

The goal? New sustainable solutions that are not only important for Brandenburg, but also for other regions! As part of the project, possibilities for renaturation at Rühstädt should also be checked. A place where a dyke was even discussed before the decision fell on an increase in the dean instead. The hope of green floodplains will be alive!