Düsseldorf under water: Böhmermann reveals years of dike delays for years!

Düsseldorf under water: Böhmermann reveals years of dike delays for years!

The satirical comedian Jan Böhmermann recently vividly addressed the topic of flood protection at an event in Düsseldorf. He referred to an article from the "Rheinische Post" from 1995, which dealt with the flood risks on the Rhine. According to Böhmermann, the closure of a dyke gap on Nikolausstrasse has been discussed for over 30 years, but nothing has happened to this day. Local residents who want to preserve their prospect of the Rhine had spoken out against the dike building. Instead, mobile flood protection was considered, which, on the other hand, was also not implemented. The city of Düsseldorf justifies the delays with long planning and approval processes that take many years.

As part of the event, Böhmermann sharply criticized the continuing delays. It is particularly concerned that procedures for the construction of planned dike in the neighborhood do not make progress for this. According to the city, the construction should begin this year. The Frankfurter Rundschau points out that the situation is not only concerned in Düsseldorf, but on the entire Rhine, since many of the flood protection systems have to be adapted to the new standards.

flood protection measures on the Rhine

On October 31, 2014, a comprehensive renovation plan for dike and flood protection systems on the Rhine was adopted. Several authorities and institutions are involved in this plan, including the Ministry of Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature and Consumer Protection, as well as the Düsseldorf district government and various dyke associations. The aim is to adapt the flood protection systems from Monheim/Dormagen to the Dutch border until the end of 2025 to adapt the current technical rules. For this purpose, over 40 measures are planned over a length of around 100 km, all of which have to be approved.

Böhmermann also criticized the dependence of the city on property owners who resist the measures. He focused particularly on the Archduke Sigismund and Guntram von Habsburg-Lorraine, which have 97.5 percent of the affected area and defend themselves against selling their properties. He complained that the city had not used the possibility of expropriation to promote flood protection.

long -term measures and European guidelines

North Rhine-Westphalia has been committed to protecting the population from floods for many years. It is not just about structural measures, but also about risk maps and preventive planning. The implementation of the European directive on flood risk management, which has been transferred to German law since March 1, 2010, is a special focus. The first flood risk management plans for the Rhine, Maas, EMS and Weser were published in December 2015 and aimed to document the dangers and coordinate measures for risk reduction.

According to the plans, the measures should be documented extensively and updated every six years. The district governments are responsible for monitoring the progress and regularly reporting to the Ministry of the Environment. The fact that solutions for flood protection have been working for more than three decades but hardly any progress is evident, questions about how effective the proposed measures actually are.