Five years after the flood tragedy in the Ahrtal region, the Caritas is calling on the federal government to overhaul Germany’s disaster protection systems. According to Oliver Müller, the Caritas board member responsible for disaster relief, Germany is progressing well, but there is still significant room for improvement. Technical warning systems, he noted, are crucial, yet a warning app alone is only partially helpful if people do not know what steps to take afterward.
Müller also cautioned that there are many other locations across Germany that may not realize they could be susceptible to flooding, highlighting this as a major challenge. He analyzed that while Germany is generally better prepared for major events of this nature and possesses higher overall sensitivity, catch-up work is necessary.
In his view, disaster protection must be approached with a socio-spatial perspective. Drawing from the Caritas’ experience, Müller stressed that this requires addressing questions such as how long nursing homes, kindergartens, and schools could sustain themselves on their own.
Furthermore, Müller demanded that information chains must be effective, insisting that all parties involved in aid structures must communicate with each other “before” a catastrophe strikes. Since state aid organizations will eventually reach their limits, he emphasized the need to utilize the social component added by welfare organizations, which currently focuses heavily on technical aspects of disaster protection.
