Carinthia is investing € 5.85 million in flood protection for Völkermarkt!

Carinthia is investing € 5.85 million in flood protection for Völkermarkt!

In the Völkermarkt district, there are important investments in the field of flood protection that are initiated by Land Carinthia. In Bad Eisenkappel, a new construction is implemented to protect against flooding. The total costs of the numerous flood protection measures amount to around 5.85 million euros, of which the federal government pays around 2.5 million euros. These comprehensive investments are part of a strategy-oriented approach to not only protect human life, but also to secure important infrastructures and economic habitats, as [meindezirk.at] (https://www.meindezirk.at/voelkermarkt/c-lokales/hochwasserchutz-und- and- Number-Reiche-Upper Businesses_A739433)

The maintenance work carried out is diverse: banking security has to be repaired, cladding removed and drain profiles restored. The focus is particularly on the flood protection project on the Kappler Vellach, where dams and protective walls are built. The first construction phase extends over several river kilometers and plays a central role in the protection concept.

experiences from the past

The need for such comprehensive measures was particularly clear through the flood events of 2023, which led to 180 missions by the Bad Eisenkappel fire brigade. Immediate measures were also initiated in other municipalities of the district after repeated floods, as is also shown in depth. For example, the flood protection measures at the Gösselsdorfer Seebach and Vellach in Rain Winkel were largely completed, supplemented by maintenance work on several streams such as the Feistritzbach and the Globasnitzbach.

But why is flood protection so important? The answer is obvious: Extreme weather events such as those that took place in July 2021 are obviously showing the effects of climate change. Risk management for floods is therefore becoming increasingly important, as the [bundes-regierung.de] (https://www.bundes government.de/breg-de/aktuelles/hochwasserchutz-1944386) emphasizes. It is clear that technical protection alone is not sufficient. Heavy rain and drought are in the upward trend and reinforce the risk of floods, especially in the slopes of our region.

climate change and its consequences

Global warming and the associated extreme weather events present the municipalities with great challenges. The scientists warn of an increase in such extreme events that make flood events more likely in Germany - especially in the low mountain ranges and East Germany. In Austria, for example, in autumn 2024 we also experienced massive rains that focus on the flood risk in the country again, a fact that has similar effects on the population and infrastructure, as the examples from Spain show, where over 200 people were killed as a result of extreme floods, such as Deutschlandfunk.de reported.

The more important is not only flood protection, but also prevention measures and the targeted renaturation of areas to minimize these health risk in the long term. The new measures in the Völkermarkter district are a step in the right direction to protect both natural and human habitats from the increasingly impending flood events.