Many people in Germany are looking for more protection against the consequences of extreme weather conditions and are willing to spend money on prevention, according to a study by insurance company R+V.
The survey results showed that 87% of the 1,000 participants surveyed would support increased government investment in flood protection.
The survey also shows that around two-thirds would be in favor of halting construction in flood-prone areas.
“The latest images of the floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg show that Germany must be prepared for similar disasters at any time,” said R+V boss Norbert Rollinger.
Given the impact of climate change, he stressed the need for urgent action from politicians.
“If too much soil is sealed, poorly maintained dikes continue to deteriorate and new construction is allowed in floodplains, the risk of more frequent and severe damage will increase in the future.”
About one in three people say they have experienced storm damage before, usually as a result of storms or heavy rain.
More than half (55%) of survey respondents are willing to spend money on storm protection measures, and nearly 28% have already taken preventative measures, the data shows.
The current floods in southern Germany have sparked a debate about compulsory insurance against natural disasters in the country. The sector is critical of the mandatory insurance required by the states, mainly out of fear of high costs.
“Compulsory insurance as the only means of protection does not help anyone – neither homeowners nor the federal states and local authorities,” said GDV boss Jörg Asmussen.
The survey was conducted on May 2 and 3, prior to the floods in southern Germany.
In recent days, several places in southern Germany have seen the kind of rain they statistically only see every 50 to 100 years.
The discovery of a flood victim on Wednesday brought the total number of deaths in the floods in southern Germany to six.
