Groundbreaking ceremony: Magdeburg invests 2.8 million in flood protection!

Groundbreaking ceremony: Magdeburg invests 2.8 million in flood protection!

On June 23, 2025, an important project to improve flood protection began in Niegripp near Magdeburg, which was initiated by Environment Minister Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann and LHW director Martina Große-Sudhues celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony. With an investment of around 2.8 million euros, financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as well as own funds from the state and federal budgets, the flood damage to the Niegripper dike is to be repaired in order to ensure the safety of the neighboring communities in the Jerichower Land district. The goal is clear: to sustainably improve the flood situation and minimize possible future risks due to climate change.

The reason for these measures was not chosen without reason. The flood of the century in 2013 clearly showed how important it is to increase the level of protection of the dikes. The extreme weather events at the time not only caused enormous damage, but also required bloody resistance actions against dike breaches, which were combated using unconventional methods such as sinking old ships. Almost 90 percent of the damage from the 2013 flood events affected Saxony-Anhalt and the Free State of Saxony; the total economic damage was estimated at around 10 billion euros, of which around 1.8 billion euros were insured losses, as Havelpolder.de reported.

Planned measures and sustainability

The work on the dike, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2026, includes renovation over a length of around 870 meters. This not only includes raising the dike, but also a DIN-compliant construction method that takes into account future subsidence of up to 60 centimeters due to salt mining in the region. In addition, the expansion of dike control and dike defense routes will help improve accessibility in the event of flooding. Martina Große-Sudhues emphasized at the groundbreaking ceremony that more than 16,300 cubic meters of support material could be obtained on site. This measure protects both the environment and delivery traffic.

A look at developments in flood protection to date shows that over 1.5 billion euros have been invested in Saxony-Anhalt since 2002, of which around 129 million euros were used in the Jerichower Land district. But climate change makes further investments essential. The state strategy “Stable in the face of climate change” serves as a guideline for future flood protection measures.

Experiences from the past

The floods of 2013 also triggered a paradigm shift in how we deal with such natural events. According to Havelpolder.de, a flood risk management plan for the Elbe area has been developed and published. This includes a variety of strategies, ranging from flood prevention to technical solutions. The National Flood Protection Program, which was launched in September 2013, aims to eliminate critically identified weak points and relocate the dikes.

With these planned measures, the region hopes to be prepared not only for the present, but also for future generations. It remains to be seen how the climatic conditions will develop in the future, but one thing is certain: flood protection is a top priority in Saxony-Anhalt and especially in the Jerichower Land district.