Atlantis in times of climate change

By: Andreas Feddersen, Hydrocare CADSES

The year 2002 will always remain etched in people's memories as the year of catastrophic floods in the catchment of the Elbe. These floods were subject of many heated discussions since the economical and cultural losses they caused were giant - especially in the east German city of Dresden being hard hit by the often called "Millennium Flood".

When the Elbe reached 9.4 meters, now four summers ago, it caused billions in dammage, including Dresden's Semperoper and many other cultural landmarks. One question often comes up during discussions about the "Mellennium Flood": Is man to blame? Jens Seifert, head of the department for environmental protection at the Office For The Environment (Umweltamt) in Dresden explains how Dresden is prepared for the next flood, how the cultural treasures of the city have been saved against flooding and how future flood control facilities take climate change into account.