New water and coastal protection law: protection against climate change!

New water and coastal protection law: protection against climate change!

On this sunny day on June 24, 2025, the government in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania brings a fresh air to environmental protection. The state water law that has existed since 1992 is fundamentally revised. The experts have worked a whole seven years to adapt the law to the current challenges of climate change and the increasingly tense situation of groundwater resources. Agricultural and Environment Minister Dr. Till Backhaus has now presented this project at the cabinet and the approval has already been given. The draft is now available for advice in the state parliament, such as n-tv reports.

The heart of the novella is a new Water and Coastal Protection Act that not only illustrates the protection of our water, but also the sustainable use and flood protection. "Climate change requires adaptation measures, and that's a step in the right direction," said Backhaus. The new regulations for farmers are particularly exciting: in the future they will have to adhere to a sustainability requirement that contains measures to protect groundwater and surface waters. For example, deep plowing and fertilizers in the five -meter wide water edge strips will be prohibited in the future.

Financial effects for households and agriculture

But the changes are not only an ecological nature - they also have financial impact. Agricultural companies must pay for the irrigation of their fields, and the water withdrawal fees for households and industry are expected to be increased from 2027. As a result, an average family will have to expect around 15 euros more per year. What many do not know: the water costs will double to 20 cents per 1,000 liters, which is not exactly a bargain, but necessary to ensure sustainable water supply. In addition, the complete exemption from pay for agricultural reference is not continued, but water-saving techniques should lead to lower remuneration, according to The state government .

a legal framework for coastal protection

The new social approach not only includes water law, but also coastal protection, where new responsibilities are regulated. While the country remains responsible for flood protection in coherent areas, the municipalities and water and soil associations are given responsibility for the protection of agricultural areas. In this way, coastal protection systems are also targeted, which can now be relocated more flexibly and new coastal decline areas can be shown. Here is cleaned up with a clear commitment to natural water development in order to create more space for natural water curves.

The challenge is great, because in Germany just 9 % of the rivers and lakes are in good ecological condition - a clear deficiency that the European Water Framework Directive exhorts. Climate change leads to more frequent extreme weather events, and many technical flood protection measures reach their limits. The new legal framework has the potential to bring about a turn by promoting natural solutions, as well as the Environmental Office. In summary, it can be said that Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania dares to take a brave step into a sustainable future with this law. It will be crucial that the actors concerned work well together to stabilize the water balance and to meet the challenges of climate change. The next few weeks will show to what extent the state parliament supports the government's proposals and thus laid the foundation for a weatherproof and environmentally conscious policy.