Saarland starts pilot project against flood - early warning system in sight!
Saarland starts pilot project against flood - early warning system in sight!
On May 6, 2025, the Saarland announced the start of a nationwide early warning system for heavy rain events, which is to be implemented within the next two to three years. In this context, Environment Minister Petra Berg (SPD) presents the pilot project Kligas (climate hazard defense system bliss), which has been active since March. The University of Technology and Economy (HTW) as well as the districts of St. Wendel, Neunkirchen and the Saarpfalz district are also involved in this important project. The aim of the project is to improve the forecast of times and effects of heavy rain events in order to be able to take preventive measures
One year after the devastating floods, which left damage of 46 million euros in the municipal infrastructure, Mountain and Interior Minister Reinhold Jost (SPD) take stock. The experiences from this catastrophe flow into the development of the new warning system. After the floods, which led to an immense financial damage, especially during the Pentecostal flood, instant aid of over 3.5 million euros was made available. In addition, the state government provided 33 million euros from the supplementary budget and 10 million euros in needs. So far, around 93 percent of the damage has been successfully balanced. Another positive aspect of current development is the increase in funding for municipal measures for technical flood protection from 70 to 90 percent.
climate change and its effects
The earlier extreme weather event and its consequences are not isolated, but are part of a larger trend. Climate change is increasingly leading to more intensive heavy rain events, which in turn increase the risk of floods. An international research group, led by Professor Ralf Ludwig at the Ludwig Maximilians University in Munich (LMU) and Dr. Manuela Brunner from the University of Freiburg, examined in an extensive study of how flood risks develop in Bavaria. The results show that extreme rods increase both in frequency and in quantity.
Interestingly, the data show that rainy amounts that could cause floods occur on average every two to ten years, but do not always lead directly to floods. In some regions, the flood risk can even be reduced by dry soils. However, the problem becomes more serious when stronger rainfall that occurs less frequently than every 50 years leads to floods more often. These studies show that the nature of the soil plays a smaller role in stronger, rare rainfall, while in more common, weaker extremely low strikes they are decisive for the risk of flooding. With regard to the future, the researchers predict that weaker extremely low strikes from 2060 to 2099 will occur twice as often as between 1961 and 2000, while stronger extreme low strikes are expected up to four times more often. The study combines hydrological simulations with climate models to analyze the effects of historical and future climate conditions. The focus is on 78 upper water catchment areas in Bavaria, in which frequency threshold values have been identified, which describe which extreme rainfall lead to devastating floods.These findings underline the need for a comprehensive and reaction -fast early warning system, as is being planned in Saarland. When implementing such systems, the aspects of climate change must also be taken into account in order to be able to react effectively to the changing weather conditions.
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