The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) wants to better combine rainwater retention with species protection. For the "Biodiverse Sponge City Dresden" project, five model sites are to be created in the city area, BUND announced on Tuesday. "The interrelated crises of global warming and species extinction require 'joined-up' solutions", explained Daniel Blume, Vice President of BUND Dresden. Green spaces, planting, including on buildings, and retention areas could not only hold back precipitation, but also provide a habitat for numerous animal and plant species. "The more water can be stored and released with a delay, the more intensive and species-rich the local flora and fauna can develop."
Since the drought years of 2018 to 2020 at the latest, it has been clear that a different approach to precipitation is needed due to climate change - especially in heavily sealed cities. "Dresden must become a sponge city in which precipitation is collected, stored and infiltrated instead of running off into the sewage system via the asphalt." At the same time, it is important to react to the rapid loss of species. It is worth investing a little more time and money in measures from the outset and focusing on the functions and needs of plants and animals.
