THE FLOOD PROTECTION CONCEPT FOR COLOGNE

In February 1996 the city council of Cologne decided unanimously the Flood Protection Concept for Cologne. After the two floods of 1993 and 1995 this concept was prepared as a comprehensive local agenda. It shows the solution to combine the apparent contrast of preventive flood control with the construction of technical flood protection works. In this respect they link the keynote of preventive local and national flood protection with the abatement of potential damages and the awareness of the remaining flood risk with its main aspects of the flood defence, the technical flood control, the flood management and the self-protection show the potential capacity to minimise damages.

Basic aims for the local agenda:

optimal integration of the agenda in the national, international and interlocal flood control
minimise the potential damage flood threatened areas a better flood control for the citizens, for valuable assets and particular facilities (chemical industry, hospitals, rest homes, zoos etc.)
better flood and disaster management
a change of the citizens awareness in order to inform people about probable dangers and permanent sensitisation for the flood problems

The maxim “to be downstream resident means to be upstream resident” is the key note because all necessary measures should not cause a worse flood control for the downstream residents which can not be balanced.