New flood protection in Lindlar: Technology for more security!

New flood protection in Lindlar: Technology for more security!

The flood disaster in the Ahr Valley not only shaked the region, but also caused exercise in political circles. Today, a final report on the devastating events was presented in the state parliament, which underlines the need for new measures to improve flood protection. A measure that is at the top of the list is the commissioning of a new flood measuring point in Welzen (Lindlar-Hommerich), which is intended to monitor the rivers of the region even better, such as Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger reported.

The state-of-the-art measuring point on the Sülz was opened by Oliver Krischer, the NRW Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport. It is part of a comprehensive plan for installing 26 new measuring points at upper runs of smaller waters in North Rhine-Westphalia. The aim is to put a total of 122 of these reporting systems into operation by the end of the year that transmit the data to the Lanuk flood center. This promises extensive advantages by not only offering longer warning times, but also increased security for flooding.

technical innovation and challenges

Not all municipalities use equivalent use from this new technology. While Lindlar himself benefits less, neighboring municipalities such as Rösrath and Overath could in this way experience a significant improvement in their flood prevention. Cordula Ahlers, treasurer of Lindlar, has already made the proposal to install another level upstairs in order to further increase security. Roland Funke from the Lanuk explained the technology of the measuring point, which, among other things, has a yellow level, two pressure probes and a single sensor.

The flow speed at this new measuring point is 480 cubic meters per second. In order to be secured in emergencies, the technical facilities are also secured twice. The power supply takes place by a combination of a 230-volt line, a photovoltaic system and a battery memory. The data collected is transmitted to the measuring network center every 15 minutes and are accessible to the public.

climate change as a pressing problem

These developments are all the more urgent if you look at the recent reports on the effects of climate change. As ZDF today , storms and floods have increased significantly in Europe. A study by the EU-funded research group Climameter shows that these extreme weather events are mainly caused by climate change, which is complicated again. Here in Germany up to 400,000 people could be affected by floods in the coming years.

The weather -related challenges should not be underestimated. Massive rains and the associated risk of floods are no longer just regional phenomena. Reports about floods in Spain and other parts of Europe, which increase year after year, show the dramatic change that the weather goes through through climate change. Deutschlandfunk also emphasizes that scientists have a clear increase in severe precipitation that has been observed since the 1950s.

measures for flood prevention are all the more important. The focus is on the renaturation of areas, the construction of effective retention and compensation areas as well as the creation of infiltration options. These measures are urgently necessary to mitigate the consequences of future weather extremes. Climate scientists tirelessly warn that the effects of climate change will continue to increase without visible measures.