Four years after the devastating floods in the Ahr Valley, a leading Green Party politician is advocating for a significant shift in the allocation of funds from the Infrastructure Special Assets Fund. Julia Schneider, the Green Party’s rapporteur for climate adaptation, argues that a greater proportion of the fund should be directed toward climate-resilient infrastructure.
Speaking to the Funke-Mediengruppe newspapers, Schneider highlighted the stark lesson learned from the Ahr Valley disaster: the costs associated with rebuilding infrastructure damaged by extreme weather events far outweigh preventative investment. She emphasized the urgent need to prioritize infrastructure designed to withstand increasingly frequent and intense weather conditions.
Schneider specifically called for accelerating the development of so-called “blue-green” infrastructure. This includes measures such as expanding green spaces to absorb rainfall and mitigating flood risk and increasing tree cover to provide cooling and maintain urban livability during periods of extreme heat.
The politician underscored the necessity of increased financial support, particularly for municipalities tasked with implementing these changes on the ground. The Ahr Valley floods, which occurred on July 14th and 15th, 2021, resulted in 135 fatalities and widespread destruction, with rebuilding efforts still underway. The incident served as a potent reminder of the vulnerability of infrastructure and the importance of proactive climate adaptation measures.