Person makes journey towards marsh metropolis, heading to the city of the swamps

In the face of escalating climate change, cities are taking steps to become more resilient. One such city is Hamm, which has joined the Future Initiative Climate.Werk. This collaborative project aims to transform cities into climate-resilient regions, focusing on water management and urban planning.

Hamm, a member of the Future Initiative Klima.Werk, has committed to acting for a climate-resilient region. The city, along with 16 cities and municipalities along the Emscher and Dorsten, Oer-Erkenschwick, Datteln from the Lippe Association area, is investing around 250 million euros in climate-stable changes by 2030.

In designated areas, 25 percent of the sealed surfaces are to be decoupled, and the evaporation rate increased by 10 percentage points. One of the key strategies is to store, collect, or infiltrate rainwater locally, instead of draining it with wastewater into the sewerage system and treating it at wastewater treatment plants.

The Lippe Association is driving this transformation, with a focus on rainwater storage. The Future Initiative Klima.Werk has expanded its network to include Hamm, and the project involves cooperation primarily within the 53 cities and municipalities of the Ruhr regional association.

Urban planning and water management are being considered together in the Future Initiative Klima.Werk to ensure flood protection and mitigate the effects of climate change. Emschergenossenschaft and Lippeverband, public water management utilities, are at the helm of this initiative, employing around 1,700 people.

Emschergenossenschaft is responsible for maintaining the Emscher river, wastewater treatment and disposal, and flood protection, while Lippeverband manages the Lippe river basin in the northern Ruhr region and has naturally restored the Lippe tributary, the Seseke.

The core of the Climate.Werk's measures is water-conscious urban redevelopment or transformation into a sponge city, focusing on the role of rainwater. The city of Hamm has implemented and initiated several measures to make the city climate-resilient, with the service organization of the Future Initiative at Emscher Genossenschaft and Lippeverband implementing the measures for climate change adaptation with the cities.

Further information, including project funding, can be found at www.climate-werk.de. For more details about Emschergenossenschaft and Lippeverband, their contact information can be found at Gustav-Heinemann-Straße10, 59065 Hamm, with an email address available.

The Ruhr Conference project "Climate-Resilient Region with International Radiance" is being implemented under the Climate.Werk umbrella, with all water associations of the region participating since 2020. The municipalities in the Future Initiative Klima.Werk have committed to considering climate adaptation goals in their communal land-use planning.

As Hamm joins the Future Initiative Klima.Werk, the city is taking a significant step towards becoming a climate-resilient region. The collaborative efforts of cities, water management utilities, and service organizations are crucial in addressing the challenges posed by climate change and ensuring a sustainable future.