Last updated: August 2022
The city of Wuppertal participates as a model region in the joint research project SAMUWA which aims at developing planning instruments which combine urban drainage with urban and open space development measures. With regards to the work package C.1: open space design strategies for a water sensitive city, one focus area and proposed measure, namely the "Varresbecker" flood channel is of special interest since it has been subject to comprehensive implementation plans in Wuppertal so that its implementation can be expected in the next years (Ref. 1, 2, 4 and 5). Alongside the water channel, a recreational area will be created with information to raise awareness about water management issues and climate change. (Ref. 2)
Flood channel to alleviate flood risk in Wuppertal
Anna Bachmann, retrieved 08/10/2018 from the reference: Deister, L.; Brenne, F.; Stokman, A.; Henrichs, M.; Jeskulke, M.; Hoppe, H.; Uhl, M. (2016): Wassersensible Stadt- und Freiraumplanung. Handlungsstrategien und Maßnahmenkonzepte zur Anpassung an Klimatrends und Extremwetter. SAMUWA Publikation.
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Green areas for water management
- Sustainable urban drainage systems
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Regulation of built environment
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
- Improvements to water quality
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
Focus
Maintenance and management of urban nature, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Knowledge creation and awareness raising
Project objectives
Goals of the flood channel in Wuppertal:
- protect /prevent the flooding of property during extreme weather events by channelling excess water to a forest area (Ref. 2)
- introducing a system for strategic surface water channelling and retention (Ref. 5)
- raising public awareness for the topics of climate change and flood risk management (Ref. 2)
- recreation: creating a recreational area with information boards explaining the mechanisms of the intervention and a water fountain. (Ref. 2).
General goals of the project:
- studying and improving flood risk management and management of extreme precipitation events (prevention of flooding of streets, premises and properties) (Ref. 2).
- developing open space planning options for effective response mechanisms to extreme precipitation events (Ref. 2)
- creating a guideline “Methods and concepts for the use and design of open space for rainwater management and flood prevention”. (Ref. 8)
Implementation activities
In the research being conducted, a pollution-dependent runoff control in the separation system as well as measures for decentralized precipitation water treatment are examined in the project SAMUWA. (Ref. 8) The focus of the project in Wuppertal, the flood channel of "Varresbeck", has not yet been implemented, but plans have been created. Based on a regulating plant that will be built into the stream "Varresbeck" (concrete bed due to anthropogenic intervention), excess water will be channelled to an existing trough next to the stream whose water retention capacity will be expanded. Thanks to the regulating plant, the potentially flooded area is displaced to open space next to the former train tracks (now a recreational area for pedestrians and cyclists). To create a visual and audio spectacle of the flood channel for visitors (not only during high water levels), water processes are staged: water will be retained in the regulating plant and released in an hourly fontain. (Ref. 2) In addition, there will be a foot bridge for visitors to observe the construction and "walk on the flood channel". Information boards explaining the mechanisms of the intervention will be put up and the recreational area next to the flood channel will be extended (Ref. 2).
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
- Other
Main beneficiaries
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- National government
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The impetus for the development of the intervention was the research funding programme initiated by the National Ministry for Education and Research. Together with Wuppertal, 3 other pilot cities participated in the programme running from 2013 to 2016. For Wuppertal, the partners in the project are the water authorities (indicated above as public sector institution since they are a prolonged arm of the local government), the water board (Wupperverband), the city of Wuppertal, the Municipal Utilities (WSW Energie und Wasser AG) and the University of Stuttgart (Institute for Landscape Planning and Ecology). The latter parties (apart from the university) are currently discussing the prioritization of flood risk management measures, with the flood channel being one of them. In addition, citizens are involved as recipients of this measure and its educational components (Ref. 2 and 5). In the entire programme, other universities are also involved alongside the University of Stuttgart: the Münster University of Applied Sciences, the Institute for Automation and Communication, Magdeburg (ifak), and the Bergische Universität. Commercial partners of the research project are the Dr. PECHER AG, InfraConsult GmbH, aquaplan GmbH and Stadtwerke Wuppertal. (Ref. 8)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(Sustainable water management is a particular thematic funding focus of the Ministry for Education and Research that seeks to foster the development of innovative technologies, procedures and system solutions for sustainable management of the resource water (Ref. 6).)
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public local authority budget
- Public national budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. Deutsches Institut für Urbanistik GmbH. (2016). SAMUWA – Die Stadt als hydrologisches System im Wandel –Schritte zu einem anpassungsfähigen Management des urbanen Wasserhaushalts. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
2. Deister, L., Brenne, F., Stokman, A., Henrichs, M., Jeskulke, M., Hoppe, H., & Uhl, M. (2016). Wassersensible Stadt- und Freiraumplanung. Handlungsstrategiesn und Maßnahmenkonzepte zur Anpassung an Klimatrends und Extremwetter. Stuttgart. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
3. Bundeministerium für Bildung und Forschung. (2014). SAMUWA – Schritte zu einem anpassungsfähigen Management des urbanen Wasserhaushalts. Bonn. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
4. aqua_plan gmbH. (2015). SAMUWA aqua_plan. Die Stadt als hydrologisches System im Wandel. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020]
5. Schlichtig, B., & Dittmar, U. (2015). samuwa. die Stadt als hydrologisches System im Wandel. Schritte zu einem anpassungsfähigen Management des urbanen Wasserhaushalts. Hamburg. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
6. Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. (2017). Nachhaltiges Wassermanagement. Available at: August 8, 2017, from Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
7. Umweltbundesamt (no date) Anpassungsstrategie der Wuppertaler Stadtentwässerung an die Folgen des Klimawandels. Available at: Source link 21 Sept. 2020].
8. Universitat Stuttgart. (nd.) Die Modellregion Wuppertal. [online]. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
2. Deister, L., Brenne, F., Stokman, A., Henrichs, M., Jeskulke, M., Hoppe, H., & Uhl, M. (2016). Wassersensible Stadt- und Freiraumplanung. Handlungsstrategiesn und Maßnahmenkonzepte zur Anpassung an Klimatrends und Extremwetter. Stuttgart. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
3. Bundeministerium für Bildung und Forschung. (2014). SAMUWA – Schritte zu einem anpassungsfähigen Management des urbanen Wasserhaushalts. Bonn. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
4. aqua_plan gmbH. (2015). SAMUWA aqua_plan. Die Stadt als hydrologisches System im Wandel. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020]
5. Schlichtig, B., & Dittmar, U. (2015). samuwa. die Stadt als hydrologisches System im Wandel. Schritte zu einem anpassungsfähigen Management des urbanen Wasserhaushalts. Hamburg. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
6. Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung. (2017). Nachhaltiges Wassermanagement. Available at: August 8, 2017, from Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].
7. Umweltbundesamt (no date) Anpassungsstrategie der Wuppertaler Stadtentwässerung an die Folgen des Klimawandels. Available at: Source link 21 Sept. 2020].
8. Universitat Stuttgart. (nd.) Die Modellregion Wuppertal. [online]. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 21 Sept. 2020].