Integrated Climate Adaptation Concept for the City of Wermelskirchen Published

The City of Wermelskirchen has published its integrated climate adaptation concept. On behalf of the city, FiW e. V., together with Gertec GmbH Ingenieurgesellschaft and GEO-NET Umweltconsulting GmbH, developed technical foundations, impact analyses and measure concepts for municipal climate adaptation. FiW was particularly responsible for the water management analysis of heavy rainfall and flood risks as well as the related field of flood risk prevention. The aim of the concept is to systematically assess climate risks, identify particularly affected areas and derive implementation-oriented measures for a climate-resilient Wermelskirchen. 

FiW contributed its water management expertise in particular to the analysis of heavy rainfall and flood risks and to the related development of flood risk prevention approaches. In this context, spatial vulnerabilities were analysed, flood hotspots were identified and discussed with local and technical stakeholders in an expert workshop on flood risk prevention. In addition to heavy rainfall and river flooding, groundwater flooding was also considered as a relevant topic.

Methodologically, geodata-based analyses were combined with the technical assessment of existing water management data and local practical experience. In particular, data on heavy rainfall and river flood events as well as the location of municipal buildings and other potentially affected risk objects were taken into account in order to assess spatial vulnerabilities in a differentiated manner. The evaluation and visualisation of these technical data served as the basis for identifying flood hotspots. These were subsequently reviewed in an expert workshop on flood risk prevention together with representatives of the responsible municipal departments and other stakeholder groups, and validated for plausibility against local conditions. On this basis, concrete measure approaches were developed for the priority action areas, tailored to the local framework conditions of the City of Wermelskirchen. Rather than forming a standardised catalogue, these were designed as site-specific recommendations for action with clear implementation steps, responsibilities and key local stakeholders. In this way, model- and data-based findings could be systematically combined with local knowledge, practical experience and the requirements of municipal implementation.

In addition, support was provided for the implementation of a public participation event, where comments, experiences and perspectives from local residents were collected. Building on the analyses, expert discussions and participation formats, measure concepts for flood risk prevention were developed and coordinated with the City of Wermelskirchen and the other project partners. The published climate adaptation concept provides an important basis for taking climate risks in Wermelskirchen into account in an even more targeted way in the future and for further developing measures to adapt to heavy rainfall, flooding, heat and drought. The project underlines the importance of practice-oriented climate adaptation that closely links scientific analyses, municipal planning and local participation.