Publication of Heavy Rain Simulation Results from R2K-Klim+ in the E&S Special “Rainwater Management”

As part of the R2K-Klim+ research project funded by the BMFTR, project results on heavy rain simulation—taking basements into account—have now been published in the Ernst & Sohn Special “Rainwater Management,” April 2026 issue. 

In the R2K-Klim+ research project, the FiW is working with a broad consortium to investigate how municipalities can be better prepared for the consequences of heavy rainfall and other climate risks. A recent article in the Ernst & Sohn Special “Rainwater Management,” published by geomer GmbH in collaboration with the FiW, addresses the question of what role basements play during heavy rainfall events and to what extent they should be given greater consideration in hydraulic simulations in the future.

To date, basements are usually not explicitly modeled in heavy rainfall hazard maps, even though basement damage accounts for a large proportion of reported damage in practice. As part of the study, buildings in two Duisburg neighborhoods were therefore mapped with regard to their basements and potential protective effects — such as small thresholds at entrances or basement windows — and integrated into a simulation model. The results show that flooded basements can have a significant impact on overall hydraulics, as they act as additional retention spaces and thereby reduce flood depths in the surrounding area. At the same time, it became clear that even small-scale structural measures can provide effective protection against water ingress.

The study provides important insights for the future assessment of heavy rainfall risks as well as for cost-benefit analyses of climate adaptation measures. The full results were published in the Ernst & Sohn Special “Rainwater Management” and are available here.