Cities are getting smarter about water and other eco wins
From flood-resistant infrastructure to new ways of securing drinking water, cities are adapting to the growing climate pressures of a hotter, drier world. Plus, tourists
From flood-resistant infrastructure to new ways of securing drinking water, cities are adapting to the growing climate pressures of a hotter, drier world. Plus, tourists pitching in to help sea turtles. Building back better after devastating floods in Germany After deadly floods devastated Germany's Ahr Valley in 2021, reconstruction is focused on resilience rather than simply restoring what was lost. Five years after 135 people were killed and billions of euros in damage occurred, authorities are widening riverbanks, redesigning bridges, and restoring natural floodplains. Creating spaces where water can safely overflow is an important part of the new strategy Image: Florian Kroker/DW Local officials have even bought riverside land to turn it back into green overflow zones planted with trees and shrubs.
At the same time, a network of 17 dams is planned to better manage extreme rainfall and reduce future risk. Read the full story here: Germany's Ahr Valley: Rebuilding better after deadly flood Turning wastewater into drinking water in a hotter world While some regions are dealing with too much water, others are running out. Cities in drought-prone areas are increasingly turning wastewater into safe drinking water and capturing stormwater to replenish underground aquifers. Reconnecting rivers to their historic floodplains lets excess water naturally seep into the ground Image: Peter Fischer/imageBROKER/picture alliance Researchers at the Technical University of Munich are also developing smarter storage systems to hold water more efficiently.
What was once considered a last-resort solution is quickly becoming a reliable way to keep water supplies stable in a hotter, drier world. Read the full story here:: Running dry: How to store more groundwater for dry seasons The citizen scientists saving Egypt's endangered turtles To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Tourists help with endangered sea turtle conservation Not all solutions rely on large infrastructure projects — some depend on everyday people. In marine conservation on Egypt's Red Sea coast, tourists are being trained as citizen scientists to help protect endangered sea turtles.
Snorkelers are taught to observe without disturbing the animals and use cameras to document their unique facial markings. These images allow researchers to identify individual turtles and better understand their behavior, health, and habitats over time. Edited by: Sarah Steffen
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