Climate adaptation: district calls for participation in online survey

Climate change is also increasingly presenting Waldeck-Frankenberg with new challenges. The district is therefore developing a comprehensive climate adaptation strategy. It would also like to include suggestions from citizens - and has launched an online survey, which you can take part in here until 15 October.

Longer periods of drought, more frequent heavy rainfall events, localised flooding: Successful adaptation to these changes can only be achieved if politics, administration and society work together to find solutions, and the district of Waldeck-Frankenberg is developing a comprehensive climate adaptation concept by the end of 2026 - in close cooperation with the towns and municipalities in the region. The aim is to better prepare the district for the tangible consequences of climate change and to develop suitable measures in order to incorporate them into the climate adaptation concept in a further step.

"In order to record the local challenges and needs relating to climate change as accurately as possible, we are launching an online survey in which all citizens can participate," says District Administrator Jürgen van der Horst. "The results will flow directly into the climate adaptation concept and help us to develop customised measures for Waldeck-Frankenberg."

Katharina Saure and Arne Jäger from the district's climate adaptation team want to evaluate the impact of climate change on everyday life as part of the survey. "The opinions and experiences of the people in Waldeck-Frankenberg are an important building block for the success of our climate adaptation concept," emphasises Arne Jäger. "Every contribution helps us to actively and sustainably shape the future of our region in order to maintain quality of life and protect infrastructure, healthcare systems and natural resources."

The survey is anonymous, voluntary and takes about ten minutes. In order to protect the anonymity of the participants, the district is advising them not to enter any personal data in the free text fields. The results of the survey will flow directly into the climate adaptation concept and help to develop customised measures for the region. Further information is available from the Climate Adaptation Management team.

Background:
The Climate Adaptation Act (KAnG) came into force on 1 July 2024. It provides the legal framework for the federal states to present their own climate adaptation strategies and ensure that local authorities draw up climate adaptation concepts. The district of Waldeck-Frankenberg has also established a climate adaptation management system. Katharina Saure and Arne Jäger lead the team, which supports the development of the concept, ensures dialogue with the municipalities and relies on broad public participation.

The development of the concept is supported by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the project management organisation Zukunft Umwelt Gesellschaft (ZUG). The aim of climate adaptation management is to make the district, society and the natural environment more resilient to the effects of climate change so that they can live more safely and cope better with the impending changes.

Keywords:

Climate adaptation management Environmental and climate protection department