Traveling towards the city of marshlands
The Zukunftsinitiative Klima.Werk, a joint venture between the Emscher Genossenschaft and the Lippe Association, is spearheading water-conscious urban and spatial development in the Emscher-Lippe region. This ambitious project aims to integrate urban planning and water management to ensure flood protection and mitigate the effects of climate change.
At the heart of the measures of the Climate Initiative Klima.Werk is the management of rainwater. The focus is on storing, collecting, or infiltrating rainwater locally instead of draining it into sewerage systems. This approach strengthens the natural water cycle, benefits groundwater or water bodies, and provides water for plant irrigation while cooling the air temperature.
The city of Hamm has joined the municipal network of the Lippe Association, known as the Climate Initiative Klima.Werk. Hamm, along with 15 other municipalities, has committed to considering climate adaptation goals in their municipal land-use planning. The city has already implemented and initiated several measures to make their city climate-resilient.
The Ruhrkonferenz project "Klimaresiliente Region mit internationaler Strahlkraft" is being implemented under the auspices of the Klima.Werk. All water associations of the region have participated since 2020. The initiative now includes all 16 cities and municipalities along the Emscher, as well as Dorsten, Oer-Erkenschwick, Datteln, and Hamm from the Lippe Association area. More Lippe Association municipalities are expressing interest in joining.
The Emschergenossenschaft and Lippeverband, the public water management utilities behind the Klima.Werk, operate based on the cooperative principle. They employ around 1,700 people and are Germany's largest wastewater disposal and wastewater treatment plant operators.
The focus of the Climate Initiative Klima.Werk is on the storage of rainwater as a means of adapting to climate change. The project advocates for the transformation of public and private infrastructures to make cities climate-resilient. Around 250 million euros are to be invested in the climate-resilient transformation by 2030, and in designated areas, 25 percent of sealed surfaces are to be decoupled and the evaporation rate increased by 10 percentage points.
For further information on the Klima.Werk, including project funding, visit www.klima-werk.de. The environmental agency for the Klima.Werk can be contacted at Gustav-Heinemann-Straße 105, 59065 Hamm.
It is crucial to address the consequences of climate change, such as extreme weather events like heavy rain, drought, or heatwaves. The Climate Initiative Klima.Werk is a significant step towards making the Ruhr region more water-conscious and climate-resilient.
