On October 29, 2024, our colleagues Elena-Maria Klopries and Alexander Menz from RWTH Aachen University held a meeting with representatives from German municipalities along the Rur River in Düren.
Together with their colleagues from Wasserverband Eifel-Rur, they met with employees from the municipalities of Nideggen, Heimbach, and Hürtgenwald, which are located downstream of the Eifel reservoirs along the Rur River. These municipalities expressed strong interest in the JCAR ATRACE program. Our RWTH Aachen colleagues presented the ongoing RAT study focusing on the stress test of the Rur River and shared plans for the PhD project by Alexander Menz titled “Reservoir Operation Under a Changing Future.” This led to a productive discussion on how the JCAR ATRACE activities could aid the municipalities in managing flood and drought risks. The dialogue also provided valuable insights for the stress test and generated additional ideas for RAT studies.
This meeting exemplifies our commitment to bridging research and policy. Our program serves as a valuable opportunity to strengthen exchanges with national and regional administrative organizations. We believe it is essential to engage these stakeholders throughout the entire process. We will continue to collaborate and share findings, perspectives, and insights.
In the future, we plan to hold similar meetings with other municipalities along the Rur River to maintain our commitment to involving diverse stakeholders in the JCAR ATRACE project.
In addition, we aim to hold similar meetings with local governments in all basins that form part of our JCAR ATRACE project. Do you want to get involved, or be updated on our projects? Reach out to us or subscribe to our newsletter on our website!
