FM
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Dear Federal Chancellor Merz,
the large forest fire in North Rhine-Westphalia worries me not only because of what happened this time, but above all because of the question of what could happen next time.
More than 2,000 people had to leave their homes. Hundreds of hectares of forest burned. Around 1,500 emergency personnel were involved.
I understand that no government can prevent every forest fire, every flood or every storm.
But if such extreme events become more frequent and more severe, it is no longer sufficient to only respond well once the disaster has already begun.
I would like to know what Germany is concretely doing before the next major event.
Are our fire brigades sufficiently equipped?
Do particularly vulnerable municipalities receive enough support?
Are forests being managed systematically with a view to fire prevention?
Are there nationwide clear and sufficiently uniform procedures for warnings, evacuations and rapid supra-regional assistance when local forces reach their limits?
I am not an expert in disaster protection and do not claim to know the perfect solution.
But some possibilities at least seem to me worthy of discussion:
– more permanent federal funds for fire brigades and disaster protection;
– stronger preventive forest management in particularly vulnerable regions;
– joint minimum standards for early warning and evacuation;
– better technical equipment and faster assistance across municipal and state borders;
– regular public reports on where Germany is still insufficiently prepared for major natural disasters.
Perhaps some of these proposals are wrong. Perhaps experts have far better solutions.
But then I would like to hear those solutions.
What worries me most is the well-known pattern: a disaster occurs, prevention and preparedness are discussed for a few days, and then the topic disappears from public attention — until the next disaster.
In my view that is no longer sufficient.
Therefore my question to you:
What specific national changes will your federal government now implement so that Germany can honestly say after the next major climate-related extreme event: We prepared in advance and did not only react afterwards?
And if you are of the opinion that the existing system is already sufficiently prepared, then please explain to us why.
Yours sincerely
A concerned citizen
the large forest fire in North Rhine-Westphalia worries me not only because of what happened this time, but above all because of the question of what could happen next time.
More than 2,000 people had to leave their homes. Hundreds of hectares of forest burned. Around 1,500 emergency personnel were involved.
I understand that no government can prevent every forest fire, every flood or every storm.
But if such extreme events become more frequent and more severe, it is no longer sufficient to only respond well once the disaster has already begun.
I would like to know what Germany is concretely doing before the next major event.
Are our fire brigades sufficiently equipped?
Do particularly vulnerable municipalities receive enough support?
Are forests being managed systematically with a view to fire prevention?
Are there nationwide clear and sufficiently uniform procedures for warnings, evacuations and rapid supra-regional assistance when local forces reach their limits?
I am not an expert in disaster protection and do not claim to know the perfect solution.
But some possibilities at least seem to me worthy of discussion:
– more permanent federal funds for fire brigades and disaster protection;
– stronger preventive forest management in particularly vulnerable regions;
– joint minimum standards for early warning and evacuation;
– better technical equipment and faster assistance across municipal and state borders;
– regular public reports on where Germany is still insufficiently prepared for major natural disasters.
Perhaps some of these proposals are wrong. Perhaps experts have far better solutions.
But then I would like to hear those solutions.
What worries me most is the well-known pattern: a disaster occurs, prevention and preparedness are discussed for a few days, and then the topic disappears from public attention — until the next disaster.
In my view that is no longer sufficient.
Therefore my question to you:
What specific national changes will your federal government now implement so that Germany can honestly say after the next major climate-related extreme event: We prepared in advance and did not only react afterwards?
And if you are of the opinion that the existing system is already sufficiently prepared, then please explain to us why.
Yours sincerely
A concerned citizen
Original text: German
Sehr geehrter Herr Bundeskanzler Merz,der große Waldbrand in Nordrhein-Westfalen beunruhigt mich nicht nur wegen dessen, was diesmal passiert ist, sondern vor allem wegen der Frage, was beim nächsten Mal passieren könnte.
Mehr als 2.000 Menschen mussten ihre Häuser verlassen. Hunderte Hektar Wald brannten. Rund 1.500 Einsatzkräfte waren beteiligt.
Mir ist klar, dass keine Regierung jeden Waldbrand, jedes Hochwasser oder jeden Sturm verhindern kann.
Aber wenn solche Extremereignisse häufiger und heftiger werden, reicht es nicht mehr, erst dann gut zu reagieren, wenn die Katastrophe bereits begonnen hat.
Ich möchte wissen, was Deutschland vor dem nächsten großen Ereignis konkret tut.
Sind unsere Feuerwehren ausreichend ausgestattet?
Bekommen besonders gefährdete Kommunen genügend Unterstützung?
Werden Wälder systematisch mit Blick auf Brandprävention bewirtschaftet?
Gibt es bundesweit klare und ausreichend einheitliche Verfahren für Warnungen, Evakuierungen und schnelle überregionale Hilfe, wenn lokale Kräfte an ihre Grenzen kommen?
Ich bin kein Experte für Katastrophenschutz und behaupte nicht, die perfekte Lösung zu kennen.
Aber einige Möglichkeiten erscheinen mir zumindest diskussionswürdig:
– mehr dauerhafte Bundesmittel für Feuerwehren und Katastrophenschutz;
– stärkere vorbeugende Waldpflege in besonders gefährdeten Regionen;
– gemeinsame Mindeststandards für Frühwarnung und Evakuierung;
– bessere technische Ausstattung und schnellere Hilfe über kommunale und Landesgrenzen hinweg;
– regelmäßige öffentliche Berichte darüber, wo Deutschland auf große Naturkatastrophen noch unzureichend vorbereitet ist.
Vielleicht sind einige dieser Vorschläge falsch. Vielleicht haben Fachleute wesentlich bessere Lösungen.
Dann möchte ich diese Lösungen aber auch hören.
Was mich am meisten beunruhigt, ist das bekannte Muster: Eine Katastrophe geschieht, einige Tage lang wird über Vorsorge und Vorbereitung gesprochen, und danach verschwindet das Thema wieder aus der öffentlichen Aufmerksamkeit — bis zur nächsten Katastrophe.
Das reicht meines Erachtens nicht mehr.
Deshalb meine Frage an Sie:
Welche konkreten nationalen Veränderungen wird Ihre Bundesregierung jetzt umsetzen, damit Deutschland beim nächsten großen klimabedingten Extremereignis ehrlich sagen kann: Wir haben uns vorher vorbereitet und nicht erst hinterher reagiert?
Und wenn Sie der Auffassung sind, dass das bestehende System bereits ausreichend vorbereitet ist, dann erklären Sie uns bitte, warum.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Ein besorgter Bürger
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