Storm flood season: Coastal protection in Lower Saxony fights with delays!

Storm flood season: Coastal protection in Lower Saxony fights with delays!

The storm flood season on the North Sea is approaching and presents Lower Saxony's coastal protection with considerable challenges. With the final preparations, everything is done to protect the coasts and islands in the best possible way, but not all work is complete on time. Especially on the East Frisian Islands of Langeoog and Wangerooge there are residues that are particularly worrying against the background of the upcoming storms.

In particular, the Lower Saxony State Operation for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation has determined that unfavorable weather conditions delayed the progress in construction work for dune protection. These protective measures are crucial in order to protect both the islands and the mainland from the effects of the storm surges. The storm flood season traditionally extends from October to March and is a particularly critical time for the region.

preparations on the islands

On Langeoog, the lake -side wear body, a necessary sand depot to reinforce the dunes, is restored. So far, around 300,000 cubic meters of sand have been washed up, but additional work is necessary to reach the remaining 150,000 cubic meters. These compensation measures are particularly important to protect ecologically sensitive areas such as the drinking water extraction area. The state company explains that a large part of the work was delayed by technical and weather -related difficulties. This protection system plays an important role in the fight against storm surges.

of the 450,000 cubic meters of sand that are needed to extend the dune over two kilometers could only be completed next year, since the weather conditions are currently not optimal. Nevertheless, the coast protection officers assure that the Pirolataldune continues to protect against storm surges.

on Wangerooge also have various protection measures on the agenda. The north-east dunes, which serve as natural barriers against storm surges, also require reinforcements. Here, the work has stalled due to technical obstacles. The reconstruction of the sand loss is planned at around 800 meters to secure the eastern part of the Inseldorf.

progress on the mainland

Apart from the work on the islands, there are also positive developments on the mainland. The dike associations have been able to record progress in the increases and forced. In various places, including Krummhörn and Harlesiel, the cooperation between the state company and dike associations is successful. The dryness of this summer has come to the construction work and enables the dikes in the region to stabilize again.

While some sections have already been completed, however, work continues to work in other places. There is a persistent commitment to improve the dike defense channels within the dikes to ensure optimal protection against storm surges.

The Lower Saxony government has announced that they will invest around 80 million euros in coastal protection together with the federal government. Environment Minister Christian Meyer described this sum as a record. It is an important and necessary measure to guarantee the safety of the coastal regions and islands in the long term.

The investment program stipulates that 70 percent of these funds are borne by the federal government and 30 percent by the federal states. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how much of the announced 80 million euros was actually spent, since the project execution is still running. Coastal protection remains an essential concern for both the federal government and the state government of Lower Saxony.

The upcoming months will be crucial to evaluate how effective the previous investments and protective measures are actually, especially with a view to the upcoming storm surges. The region therefore remains with intensive observation to ensure compliance with the protective measures and to prevent possible further delays in the course of the project.

For more detailed information on the current developments and the associated measures in Lower Saxony, .