Key topic: Adapting to the results of climate change

The effects of global climate change include increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as heavy rain, flooding, hot summers, droughts, and storms. In addition to taking climate protection measures, it is important to increase the resilience of natural, social and economic systems to these impacts and reduce their vulnerability.

One key area of action here is water safety. Effective and sustainable solutions are needed to reduce water losses, to reuse and store water, to protect and replenish groundwater supplies, and to develop water usage plans. While these measures are aimed mainly at water shortages, precautions must also be taken to prevent temporary extreme water surpluses. Technical flood protection is just one of many approaches. Future-oriented precautions against heavy rainfall also include, for example, reclaiming river courses, moors and forests, defining flood plains, appropriate structural reorganization and development of cities and municipalities, and, last but not least, measures to cope with flood events that have already occurred.

With its comprehensive expertise, solutions, and innovative strength, the international water and wastewater industry can significantly help society deal with many of these challenges.