Mediation
You are taking part in the project “Responses to Global Warming” organized by Youth and Environment Europe. All participants have been invited to contribute an entry to the project blog in which they present best-practice examples of dealing with climate change from their home countries.
Write a blog entry, outlining the problems cities face and the ways a project in Leipzig tries to improve the situation locally.
Das Schwammviertel
(641 Wörter)
„Das Schwammviertel“, Andrea Hoferichter, SZ.de vom 22. 02. 2021
(Sprachliche Fehler in der Textvorlage wurden entsprechend der geltenden Norm korrigiert.)
Annotationen
1 Baumrigole: Regenwasserspeicher unterhalb von Bäumen
2 Bodensubstrat: Nährboden
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headline
Hi everyone, and welcome to my entry for the “Responses to Global Warming” project! Today I want to show you a really interesting best-practice example from my home country, Germany, where there is a new quarter built in Leipzig which is supposed to work like a giant sponge. I took my information from the article “Das Schwammviertel” by Andrea Hoferichter, which was published in a German newspaper on 22 February 2021.
introduction:
reference to the article
Let’s have a look at the problems that cities are facing first though. Because of climate change, extreme weather events are happening more and more often, and it is the people in the cities who suffer the most. In many towns, large surfaces are sealed with asphalt and concrete. When there is heavy rainfall, the rainwater cannot drain away and the sewage systems overflow. This leads to flooding and the contamination of nearby rivers and lakes. In warm weather, the problem is the opposite: asphalt and concrete absorb the heat, so that temperatures in the city are much higher than in the surrounding countryside. All these problems are crying out for a change in urban planning. This is often difficult to put into practice, however. Projects involve many different stakeholders and lengthy planning processes. In addition, there is still a lack of forward-looking laws that promote new ideas.
problems cities are facing
Currently, researchers in Leipzig are developing a new district with a decentralised and sustainable water management system. The basic idea is simple: the quarter is supposed to absorb rainwater like a sponge and release it again later, which reduces the impact of extreme weather.
project in Leipzig
To achieve this goal, the project uses several measures. Trees are planted in a special way, so that they can take up the water and store it in the ground. Rainwater is also collected and kept in tanks, ditches and in the groundwater. Furthermore, many buildings have green roofs and green walls.
measures to be taken
These measures have a number of positive effects. The green roofs and walls insulate the buildings against heat, as does cool groundwater if it is used in the right way. The general air quality in cities improves and the whole urban environment becomes cooler. Best of all, the stored rainwater is still available during dry periods.
positive effects
So, as you can see, the “sponge district” in Leipzig is a great example of how clever city planning can help us adapt to climate change. Maybe it could be a model for cities in your country too!
conclusion/ending
(418 words)