Hesse's waters on the brink: Citizens' action shows alarming condition!

Hesse's waters on the brink: Citizens' action shows alarming condition!

In Hesse there is alarming news about the condition of the rivers and streams. These watercourses are not only habitats for numerous animal species, but also important parts of the ecosystem. To find out more about these waters, ARD has launched a hands-on campaign called #OurRiver. The reaction to this campaign is encouragingly large, but the results show a sobering situation.

Almost 3,000 citizens took part in the survey and documented the condition of around 100 streams. They answered questions about the waterways and provided photos to make the situation visible. Johannes Kuhn from Frankfurt is one of the participants; He examined the Urselbach, where he regularly travels with his dog. “It was just great to see that you can do something for the environment with so little effort,” he says of his experience at the campaign.

Shocking results of the streams in Hesse

However, the evaluation of the participation campaign, carried out by the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, shows alarming figures: two thirds of the streams in Hesse are in poor condition, while only 25 percent are in good condition. The reasons for this are diverse. “Many bodies of water have been straightened or turned into concrete channels,” explains Martin Friedrichs-Manthey from the Helmholtz Center. In addition, there is often a lack of sufficient waterfront strips that act as buffers between water and agricultural areas or roads. Such edge strips could help filter pollutants that enter the waterways during heavy rain.

The authorities have been trying to improve the situation for many years. According to the EU Water Framework Directive, all watercourses should be in an ecologically good condition by 2027. However, current data has shown that Hesse is still a long way from this goal. The level has remained unchanged at 4.8 percent since 2014. Currently only 11.1 percent of the streams in Hesse are in good condition.

Renaturation projects and massive challenges

In order to counteract the poor condition of the water bodies, the “100 wild streams for Hesse” program was launched in 2019. The goal is to completely restore 100 streams to nature. 155 municipalities have already taken part in this program and are receiving support from the authorities. But the goal is ambitious and, given the three years remaining until the EU directive's deadline, the challenges appear enormous. Jörg Nitsch, board member of BUND Hessen, describes the task as herculean work and points out that there is not only a lack of financial resources, but also a lack of time to carry out the necessary measures.

The years of straightening and concreting of rivers by politics and the construction industry represent significant obstacles that need to be overcome. “Recovering what has suffered decades of ecological destruction will take a lot of effort and effort,” says Nitsch. A key obstacle is also the need to access the adjacent properties in order to create space for renaturation.

Despite these gloomy prospects, there is a ray of hope: the participation campaign has shown that many people are willing to get involved in environmental protection. Friedrichs-Manthey encourages citizens to find out about the possibilities of becoming active themselves by contacting their municipalities about planting verges or adding gravel to the stream bed. “This is an important step in the right direction,” he says.

Johannes Kuhn is determined to remain active. When he goes for a walk with his dog, he would like to continue to document the condition of the streams in the future and thus make a contribution to their protection. Interested citizens have until October 31st to take part in the campaign using the hashtag #OurRiver.

For further information about the state of the waters in Hesse and the participation campaign #OurRiver, see www.hessenschau.de.