KIRa-Berg aims to improve flood protection in the Bergisches Land Flood management system supports real-time planning of protective measures

Bergisches Land. The Bergisches Land is one of the areas with the highest average annual rainfall in Germany and is the source region for many rivers and bodies of water, such as the Agger and the Wupper. The effects of climate change are particularly noticeable in the Bergisches Land, as it has an increased risk of flooding events. The unique topography, characterized by steep terrain, numerous ravines, and dense settlement in valley areas, makes it particularly vulnerable to floods and heavy rain damage.

The flood disaster in July 2021 vividly demonstrated that flooding events do not stop at district borders and highlighted the urgency of inter-municipal cooperation.

The “Cooperation for Flood Prevention on Agger and Wupper (ÜVAW)” was established in January 2023 as an alliance of the districts of Ennepe-Ruhr District, Oberbergischer District, Rhein-Sieg District, and Rheinisch-Bergischer District, as well as the cities of Leverkusen, Remscheid, Solingen, and Wuppertal, together with the water associations Aggerverband and Wupperverband. The cooperation area includes the river catchment areas of the Agger and Wupper. The ÜVAW cooperation aims primarily to improve public information and foster closer collaboration between local authorities and water associations. Furthermore, an innovative project is planned to increase the lead time in acute emergency situations, thereby significantly enhancing the capacity of civil protection.

Leading the ÜVAW cooperation, the Oberbergischer District, in collaboration with project partners TH Köln and University of Bonn, will apply for the KIRa-Berg project. The goal is to develop an integrated flood management system that supports specialized authorities, control centers, fire brigade command centers, and crisis teams in the early detection of flood risks and promotes the planning and implementation of effective protective measures. The Oberbergischer District will coordinate the collaboration of the project partners as well as the participating municipalities and associations.

What does KIRa-Berg encompass?

The KIRa-Berg project consists of several sub-projects. The technical core is the installation of two X-band radar devices, which will complement the existing radar system of the German Weather Service (DWD) for the Bergisches Land. While the DWD systematically covers the entire federal territory and can provide reliable warning and forecast data for larger areas, its C-band radar system reaches technical limits in regions like the Bergisches Land. In contrast, the additional planned X-band radar systems can provide high-resolution radar data for precipitation forecast models at lower altitudes and with significantly more frequent measurements.

The planned system combines the high-resolution X-band radar data with an AI model that can integrate flood calculations from precipitation and existing river flooding. In a real-time decision module, simulations of flooding scenarios can also be conducted within seconds, and the effectiveness of protective measures can be evaluated.

Who are the other project partners?

The Radar Polarimetry Working Group of the University of Bonn will process the innovative X-band radar data so that they can be integrated into the existing warning systems of the German Weather Service for short-term forecasts, thereby serving as a legal basis for disaster protection warnings.

To apply this new data to acute civil protection, TH Köln's Institute for Rescue Engineering and Hazard Prevention (IRG) will act as the third project partner in the collaborative project. The IRG will develop communication and information management strategies and support the development of the planned digital information platform to ensure real-time information flow during emergencies for both the public and disaster response teams.

The project has received A-status as part of the REGIONALE 2025 Bergisches RheinLand and has been recommended for funding by the EFRE Review Committee of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
After an initial funding consultation, the Oberbergischer District will soon be invited by the Cologne District Government to submit an application. The project start is contingent on funding approval by the Cologne District Government as the responsible decision-making authority. The planned project period is expected to run from July 2026 to December 2028. Total costs amount to approximately 1.83 million.