Federal Minister for the Environment Steffi Lemke commented: “Depending on where they live, people in Germany experience the consequences of the climate crisis very differently. Some people feel the heat and drought. in particular, others are confronted with storms or floods. Here in Dessau-Roßlau in the Central Elbe region, different solutions are needed to those on the coast or in the big cities. With regional dialogue events, we want to find out from citizens which measures for precautions against and adaptation to the consequences of the climate crisis they find particularly important for their region. And we are asking them for their ideas and recommendations for various areas of action. I'm glad to see so many people getting involved, and I'm excited to see the recommendations for our precautionary climate adaptation strategy.”
The five dialogue events will take place in the regions of the Baltic Sea coast in Wismar, Middle Elbe in Dessau-Roßlau, Rhine-Ruhr in Duisburg, Rhine-Main in Worms and the Bavarian Forest in Zwiesel. They were selected on the basis of the results of the Federal Government's Climate Impact and Risk Analysis 2021 and with a view to different settlement areas, landscapes and economic and infrastructures.
Dirk Messner, President of the German Environment Agency stated: “We deliberately selected these five regions because they are in part specifically affected by the impacts of climate change and exemplify the diverse challenges of climate adaptation in Germany. Through the participation of local people, we hope to make valuable contributions to the further development of the German Adaptation Strategy for Climate Change.”
In October and November 2023, the Federal Environment Ministry and the German Environment Agency will invite participants to regional dialogue events in the five selected regions. At each of these two-day events, about 80 people will discuss how their region should be shaped for a climate-adapted future worth living in. The participants are randomly selected so that the composition is as diverse as possible. They will develop recommendations on which solutions, measures and instruments, in their view, could provide sufficient precautions and protection against the consequences of the climate crisis.
The implementation of measures for precautions against and adaptation to the increasing consequences of climate change contributes to maintaining or improving the quality of life for everyone in Germany despite the climate crisis. The online dialogue and the five regional dialogue events with citizens will be followed by the participation of experts from the federal states, municipalities, associations and the scientific community.
The German government is currently further developing the German Adaptation Strategy from 2008 and intends to present a new, precautionary climate change adaptation strategy by the end of 2024. This strategy is anchored in the draft of the new Climate Adaptation Act, which was adopted by the Federal Cabinet in mid-July 2023 and is being debated in the Bundestag. The results of the participation process with citizens and experts will be incorporated into the work of the Federal Government.
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