[Global Issue+] Germany Rhine River Flood, Controversy Over Water Management Failure as Man-Made Disaster

The Netherlands, a Water Management Power, Reports Zero Deaths
Floods Caused by Inadequate Alert Systems and Frequent Direct River Construction

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The catastrophic floods that occurred throughout the Rhine River in Western Europe have resulted in over 200 deaths in Germany and Belgium, causing massive human casualties. However, it has been reported that no fatalities occurred in the Netherlands, which is also located in the Rhine River basin, leading to increasing criticism of the German government. The criticism centers on the inadequate warning system and frequent river engineering works that made the river prone to flooding, resulting in significant loss of life. While the German government continues to emphasize that this was a natural disaster caused by global warming, there is growing criticism that they have comprehensively failed in water management.

Warning Sirens Did Not Sound Even as the Flood Approached

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 24th (local time), Armin Schuster, head of the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (BKK), acknowledged in an interview with German public broadcaster ARD that "the flood situation was not controlled as desired," admitting that the warning system did not function properly, which contributed to the high number of casualties.

Earlier, German daily newspapers reported that in most towns, warning sirens did not sound during the flood, causing many residents to be caught unprepared. According to the German daily Der Spiegel, residents of Wuppertal, a small city in North Rhine-Westphalia that suffered heavy flood damage, stated that the warning sirens were broken and did not sound.

Most residents only began evacuating after a church monk rang the bell upon seeing the river overflow. Those who did not hear the bell were informed of the situation by firefighters visiting homes one by one, which delayed evacuation. Der Spiegel reported that the flood occurred around 2 a.m., in the middle of the night, leading to more casualties.

Hannah Cloke, a professor at the University of Reading in the UK who participated in designing the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS), stated in an interview with German broadcaster ZDF, "There should not have been so many casualties in 2021. It is unbelievably frustrating," adding, "We knew what was coming days in advance." She pointed out, "The meteorological authorities issued forecasts, but at some point, the warning transmission system broke down and did not reach residents," and criticized, "Germany lacks a federal-level response system for flood risks."

Frequent River Engineering and Wetland Reclamation Made Flooding Easier

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Environmental groups in Germany point out that frequent river engineering works and wetland reclamation and development along the Rhine River since the 1970s have made the river more prone to flooding, which is a major cause of the floods. The German government repeatedly blames the natural disaster on global warming, but the real cause is their failure to properly manage flood control.

Criticism of the German government has intensified especially because the Netherlands, another country located in the Rhine River basin and known for its strong flood control capabilities, reported no fatalities. After the massive flood disaster in 1953 that killed 1,835 people, the Netherlands invested enormous funds in large-scale flood control projects to minimize flood damage.

According to CNN, under the name "Delta Program," the Netherlands implemented a national flood response project from 1958 to 1997, investing $15.5 billion (approximately 17.8 trillion KRW). They undertook extensive construction of levees and dams throughout the country and installed sluices at all points where rivers meet the sea to prepare thoroughly. CNN criticized, "In Germany, where many casualties occurred, bureaucrats are avoiding responsibility."