FiW supports the district of Viersen in climate impact adaptation

The project "NiersCon - Analysis of decentralised water retention and groundwater recharge through integrated management of the regional ditch system" is a cooperation project between the district of Viersen and WBVdMN (Wasser- und Bodenverband der Mittleren Niers). It is being funded for 2.5 years by BMU (German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection) as part of the "Maßnahmen zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel“ (Measures for adaptation to climate change) funding programme. FiW was commissioned by the district of Viersen to provide technical and scientific support for the project.

The increase in excess water due to the accumulation of heavy precipitation on the one hand and increasingly prolonged dry periods in summer on the other represent the central challenges in connection with climate change. Against this background, the aim of the NiersCon interdisciplinary collaborative project is to develop the opportunities and risks of integrated management of the regional system of drainage ditches in the eastern district of Viersen (WBVdMN's area of activity). The aim is to investigate whether and how the ditches can be used for controlled and decentralised water retention, targeted groundwater recharge and irrigation. In addition to improving the region's flood protection, this transformation to a so called "Schwammregion“ (sponge region) should significantly save water from other sources (e.g. groundwater and drinking water) and the cooling effect of water surfaces and soils should have a positive impact on the urban climate.

FiW carries out project monitoring in the form of regular professional project support. In addition, FiW is responsible for the organisation and moderation of planning workshops as well as several round tables and specialist exchanges in the further course of the project.