At least 10 million Germans without elementary protection: hazard alarm!

At least 10 million Germans without elementary protection: hazard alarm!

The Ahrtal disaster in 2021 revealed drastic weaknesses in German disaster protection and re-sparked the discussion about resilience in society. This debate has further gained importance through the current challenges, such as the Ukraine War. As FR.DE , the Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe and "HUK helps" a Germany project. The aim is to form a nationwide network of disaster helpers to improve the supply of relief goods in crisis situations.

A central problem that is always discussed is the insufficient insurance of many homeowners. According to Kerstin Bartels, the CEO of "HUK helps", only about 10 million homeowners are insured against elementary damage. This is in a strong contrast to over 23 million house and apartment owners in Germany. The discussion about a possible obligation to damage the elementary damage for homeowners, which is already anchored in the coalition agreement of the Merz government, is increasingly gaining driving.

flood disaster as a turning point

In particular, events in the Ahr Valley illustrated the need for more effective disaster prevention. On the day of the catastrophe, July 14, 2021, the warnings were proclaimed by various authorities. At 11:00 a.m., the flood registration service of the Rhineland-Palatinate State Environment Agency issued the second highest warning level, followed by an even more urgent warning at 11.17 a.m. via the Katwarn app. Already at 2:30 p.m. the water level on the Altenahr level rose dramatically, which forced the authorities to act WDR .

The alarming forecasts, which predicted a threatening maximum of 5.19 meters, led to comprehensive prevention measures and an urgent recommendation to avoid certain areas during the floods. These events have underlined the urgency of taking effective measures for disaster prevention.

the need and the way to resilience

In order to be able to better manage future disasters, resilience is considered a task for society as a whole. Martin Kessler, head of Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, refers to the increase in extreme weather events and calls for a rethink among the population and at the political decision level. He also criticizes the different funding guidelines of the federal states that make help difficult after disasters. The Federal Government is asked to simplify the processes in coping with the damage bbk.bund.de

A focus is also on the sensitization of the population for disaster protection, including the importance of siren signals. Resilience compared to future natural disasters can only be strengthened by a well -informed public. The initiatives, such as the Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe project offered, are exemplary for the necessary change in society and the political framework.