Germany lacks coherent plan for protecting citizens in case of electricity or weather emergencies, districts say

Germany is not sufficiently prepared to protect its citizens in the event of widespread power outages or large-scale natural disasters, Kay Ruge, head of the German Districts Association (DLT), told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung (NOZ). "There is no comprehensive, overarching plan," he said, adding that "civil protection has played no role in political prioritisation in recent years."

Ruge pointed out that districts, for example, could not support dozens of nursing homes with emergency generators in case of a power outage. "We need risk analyses and bottleneck registers," he warned. The bottleneck registers list all resources and personnel needed in the event of a crisis which might not available in sufficient quantities, NOZ wrote. "Civil protection is the responsibility of the federal government: the government must finally develop a comprehensive plan quickly, involving the states and us [districts]," he said.

To protect people during heatwaves and water shortages, Ruge said: "In our view, the first priority is genuine climate change adaptation". This meant, for example, installing triple glazing, cooling ceilings or air conditioning systems in care homes, hospitals and schools.

For many years, Germany has experienced the effects of climate change in the form of worsening heat waves, droughts, and mild winters. The country has a national climate adaptation strategy and has set measurable targets to increase the country's resilience against the worst consequences of climate change.

Still, more attractive conditions are needed to make people join civil protection and disaster relief volunteer units as Germany faces more frequent extreme weather events, the Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) said earlier this year.