To limit flooding, Luxembourg is rewilding the Alzette and Petrusse with backing from the EU’s financing arm
To make the city safer from floods, Luxembourg engineers mixed high tech with old school methods. They examined maps dating back to the period of Habsburg rule to track changes in the Alzette River’s flow and flood plain. And they used modern technology to conceive a rewilding project in Steinsel and in the valley of the Petrusse.
“The aim of these projects is to give more space back to the watercourses,” says Bruno Alves, attaché to the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity. “In the event of flooding, the water can now spread out, where it does not cause damage to human activities or endanger people's safety.”
Alves and his team also removed man-made obstacles, such as dams or small waterfalls, so that fish can once again migrate freely. More natural watercourses improve water quality, provide a natural habitat for aquatic plants and animals, and help protect towns and villages.
“These projects clearly show that nature-based solutions have multiple benefits for the environment, but also for people," Alves says.
The European Investment Bank, which is owned by the 27 EU member states, has loaned €9 million to finance the Alzette rewilding. That’s just one of many investments in Luxembourg by the European Union’s financing arm, which is based in Kirchberg. Last year, we invested €140 million in Luxembourg.
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