European Climate Adaptation Award

Since 2021, Kevelaer has been taking part in the European Climate Adaptation Award (eca), a quality and certification process for municipal climate adaptation. This systematically records the areas of the city administration in which climate adaptation measures are already being implemented. Based on this, a four-year work program is drawn up. Implementation is regularly reviewed by means of an audit and further climate adaptation activities are encouraged. Finally, the city will receive certification and an award.

Participation in the eca is funded by the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry for the Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection on the basis of the "Implementation of a municipal quality management and certification procedure for climate impact adaptation" guideline. The program runs from 01.04.2021 to 31.03.2025.

As part of the eca, a climate impact analysis was carried out for Kevelaer, in which the following impact of climate change was identified:

• The annual temperature has been rising continuously since 1961, with an enormous increase in hot days in particular. The entire urban area is characterized by a heat load of 7-11 days per year.

• Heatwaves such as those in 2018 and 2019 with temperatures of over 40 °C caused an exceptional drought with trees dying and water bodies drying out. This resulted in an increased need for irrigation.

• Precipitation shifts within the seasons: the springs become wetter, while the other seasons become drier.

• In recent years, heavy rainfall events have led to high water levels in the Niers and flooding of overflow basins, resulting in overflowing cellars or the flooding of roads or agricultural land.

The greatest need for action is seen in the areas of precipitation changes and heavy rainfall events as well as temperature increases and heat waves.