Germany's Environment Minister Carsten Schneider warned that this summer's severe drought and record heat show the country must change its approach to water management. He urged shifting from draining and diverting water to retaining it in the landscape through wetland, river and forest restoration. Schneider also called for modernizing water infrastructure and asked states to invest part of a €100 billion federal infrastructure fund in water resilience projects. The measures aim to reduce economic disruption from low river levels and build long-term climate resilience.
After Severe Drought, Germany Urged to Overhaul Water Management
FILE PHOTO - German Environment Minister Carsten Schneider walks along the banks of the Rhine near Bonn during dry weather and low water. (is associated with: «German environment minister calls for water management rethink») Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
Germany must fundamentally rethink how it manages water resources after this year’s severe drought, Environment Minister Carsten Schneider warned. Record summer temperatures and repeated heatwaves have driven river levels down across the country, disrupting commerce and exposing vulnerabilities in long-standing water policies.
"The days when we in Germany didn't have to worry about water are definitively over. Germany needs a different approach to water," Schneider told the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger.
Why The Change Is Urgent
Very low water levels on the Rhine and other rivers have caused significant economic disruption in recent months, at times making the transport of essential materials impossible. Those impacts have underscored that past policies — focused on draining and diverting water — are no longer sufficient.
What The Minister Recommends
Schneider said the priority should now be to retain water in the landscape wherever possible. "Today, the goal is to retain water in the landscape as effectively as possible," he said, advocating for measures such as restoring wetlands, reconnecting rivers to their floodplains, and strengthening forest and soil management to improve natural water storage.
He also called for modernization of water infrastructure to make supply systems more resilient to extreme weather and long-term shifts in climate patterns.
Funding And Next Steps
The federal government has earmarked €100 billion from a special infrastructure fund at the start of this legislative term. Schneider urged state governments to allocate a meaningful share of those resources to water infrastructure and landscape-based measures that can secure water supplies and reduce future economic risks.
Taken together, the proposals point to a shift from engineered drainage solutions to a nature-based, resilience-focused approach that can help Germany adapt to a warmer, drier climate.
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