Nabu calls for rapid renaturation of Hamburg waters before the water conference

Before the start of a water conference, the German Nature Conservation Association (Nabu) is calling on the Senate to quickly renaturate rivers, streams and ditches. These are important habitats for animals and plants, according to a statement from Nabu Hamburg. "Many Hamburg's waters have historically been straightened, expanded, piped, fortified or interrupted by transverse structures," said a spokesman. This has worsened the ecological quality of the waters.

The Senate did recognize the problem, said the spokesman. “In our view, the pace and extent of ecological water development are not yet sufficient.” It is also about mitigating the consequences of climate change. “During heavy rain, natural bodies of water with their floodplains, shallow water areas and structurally rich banks can absorb and slow down water better.”

Conference on the topic begins on Monday

The one-and-a-half-day water conference “Water City where next?”, which will focus on the development of waterfront cities, begins on Monday. It has been announced that Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) will speak at the conference on Monday evening.

The Hamburg environmental authority announced in February that the federal government had provided 17 million euros for a project that aims to improve the quality of Hamburg's waters.