Is there anything to learn from floods like the big one on the Danube and Inn 10 years ago? Maybe this: “In addition to flood protection, a general rethinking of how we deal with our waters is also needed. Forcing our rivers into tight corsets was a big mistake in the past,” says Provincial Councilor Stefan Kaineder (Greens).
“The flood disaster 10 years ago once again impressively demonstrated to us that nature can be unpredictable and that, in view of the climate crisis, we unfortunately have to be prepared for more severe storm events. This also increases the risk of flooding and flood events,” warns Stefan Kaineder, State Councilor for the Environment and Climate. 77 flood protection measures are currently being implemented at a total cost of EUR 222.4 million. A further EUR 67.5 million has been spent on immediate measures since 2013. After all, damage totaling around 76 million euros was reported from the Danube communities in Upper Austria alone. A difficult tightrope walk Bit by bit, however, Upper Austria’s rivers would have to be freed from too tight corsets, says Kaineder. And when it comes to flood protection measures, care is taken to “implement the measures by weighing up the greatest possible protection and natural design and improvement of the water ecology”. were implemented, the damage was drastically reduced or avoided altogether. Thus, in 2013, despite the higher flow rates, there was comparatively less damage along the Upper Austrian Danube than in 2002. For example, the Machland dam built in the Grein area after the 2002 flood prevented a major catastrophe. Although mobile flood protection reached its peak in Grein on the afternoon of June 4, it held up and protected against flooding.Relocation is also a recipeSince the 2013 flood, around 120 homeowners in Upper Austria have settled in the Eferding Basin and in the Enns-Enghagen area been. After the great flood of 2002, 254 properties were cleared for the Machland dam – making a total of 374 – and 17 further settlements in the Upper Danube Valley are still planned.
