Germany’s federal government will make almost a billion euros available to the states for flood and coastal protection through 2040. According to the environmental ministry’s reply to a request from the Green parliamentary group-reported by the Funke media’s midweek newspapers-the coastal states received commitment authorisations totaling €885 million for 2024‑2040. Including state money, the total commitment amounts to €925 million.
Green MP Linda Heitmann said the federal contribution is far from enough. She estimated that Lower Saxony, Bremen and Schleswig‑Holstein alone will need at least €1.4 billion by 2035. She also criticised the ministry’s failure to supply clear figures on damage caused by storm surges, heavy rain and floods. While the ministry refers to insurer data, Heitmann called the government’s answers “vague and incomplete” and warned it is unsettling that no exact damage totals or investment needs for nature‑based solutions are provided.
The ministry also announced steps to facilitate flood‑protection construction. Planned measures include accelerating approval processes-especially plan‑approval procedures for specific flood‑defence works-and speeding up legal recourse, for example by setting concrete application and justification deadlines.
Experts warn that climate change will make flooding more frequent and storm surges more severe, placing the North Sea coast among Germany’s most climate‑impacted regions.