Tree series in Borgfeld stops: Environmental authority rejects clearing!

Tree series in Borgfeld stops: Environmental authority rejects clearing!

Borgfeld, Deutschland - The decision to leave the row of trees on the Wümme near the flood bridges in Borgfeld ensures controversy. In the next few months there will be no further clearing of trees and bushes, as local office manager Karl-Heinz Bramsiepe reports in a current letter from the Bremen environmental and climate authority. The application to remove the row of trees was adopted at the end of November with a majority in the Borgfeld advisory board, but with two votes against the Greens and two abstentions from the SPD.

The trigger for this application was the argument that the dense row of trees on the bank hindered the drainage of pent -up water into the river and thus endanger the effectiveness of the already exempted "flutrinne" in an emergency. However, the environmental authority does not consider the reason to be sufficiently proven, since a large part of the areas are under nature conservation and such measures require careful examination and negotiations with the owners.

water management considerations and nature conservation

The authority pointed out that a convincing basis is required for the use of public funds. In particular, there are no concrete indications that make the clearing of the trees appear necessary. In addition, a hydraulic examination is currently being carried out on Wümme and Wörpe, the first results of which are expected in the coming summer and which could possibly have an impact on future clearing.

The background of this debate is not only relevant locally. When considering flood protection, it becomes clear that the frequency and intensity of heavy rain events has increased in recent decades. These extreme events are often the result of climate change and bring considerable risks for communities. Adaptation measures in particularly affected regions are therefore becoming increasingly important in order to minimize damage to infrastructures and to protect people, as was determined in an analysis of forest knowledge.

use of trees and sustainable management

trees on rivers can play a positive role in flood protection by offering stability, reducing erosion and acting as natural barriers. However, differentiated and intensive forest management is necessary in pending bank areas to ensure the protective function of these forests. For example, measures to relieve the slope can help increase stability, taking into account the local conditions, without increasing the risk of erosion.

In addition, the EU Highwater Directive shows that the creation of flood and heavy rain hazard cards is essential. These can offer municipalities and forest owners a better planning basis for preventive measures in order to weaken the effects of extreme weather events. Various digital platforms, such as the warning weather app of the German Weather Service, help to inform the population in good time.

The debate about the trees in Borgfeld is not only a local affair, but also reflects a bigger problem that affects many regions in Germany. It remains to be seen how the results of the upcoming investigations will affect the decision -making. The Federal Environment Agency offers further information on adaptation strategies in flood protection in its publications.