The kick-off event for KAHR 2.0 took place in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler on May 11 and 12, 2026.

Following the development of key initiatives by the interdisciplinary research network “Climate Adaptation, Floods, Resilience” (German: KAHR) for sustainable and resilient reconstruction following the floods in the Ahr Valley and North Rhine-Westphalia, the second funding phase is now beginning with KAHR2.0.

In KAHR2.0, the partners, under the coordination of the University of Stuttgart and RWTH Aachen University,aim to analyze existing measures, identify best practices, and develop strategies that can be utilized by reconstruction projects across Europe.

To mark the KAHR2.0 kick-off, a press conference was held on May 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on the topic: “Sustainable and Resilient Reconstruction Following Flood Disasters” at the ‘Haus des Gastes’ in Altenahr.

Dr. Silke Launert, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (German: BMFTR), commented on the research consortium funded by the BMFTR: “With our funding for KAHR2.0, we as the research ministry are continuing our support for reconstruction following the flooding in the Ahr Valley. In doing so, we are relying on collaboration between research and administration, as well as between the federal government, states, and municipalities. The results are intended to benefit not only the Ahr Valley but also other flood-affected regions in their reconstruction and climate resilience efforts.”

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jörn Birkmann stated: “Even though there is still much to be done, KAHR has already had concrete effects and brought about improvements in the first project phase that permanently enhance the ability of flood-affected regions to cope with flood events. The ‘10 Recommendations for Future-Oriented and Climate-Resilient Reconstruction’, which the consortium developed during the first funding phase, are now directly influencing decisions regarding reconstruction projects.”

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Holger Schüttrumpf explained: “Important findings and recommendations from KAHR research can be applied to other regions. This includes, for example, the need to account for log jams at bridges in flood hazard and risk maps and to design bridges to be flood-adapted in terms of their stability and function as flow-impeding structures.” He also referred to the publication on the results of the first funding phase, “The 2021 Flood Disaster: From Reconstruction to Climate Resilience”.

As part of KAHR2.0, the partners aim to examine the impact and acceptance of new technical and natural measures, as well as reconstruction funding, for selected sub-regions of the area, and to identify potential legal changes and challenges in the ongoing reconstruction process. Furthermore, the project aims to demonstrate how changes in building codes and the Federal Spatial Planning Act on Flood Protection specifically impact reconstruction on the ground, and what obstacles exist to climate-resilient and rapid reconstruction and rebuilding.

At the KAHR2.0 kick-off event at the Rodderhof in Ahrweiler, the project partners discussed the goals and prospects of KAHR2.0. In initial workshops on protection goals and climate factors, the impact of the legal framework and reconstruction funding, and the planned digital tool and exchange of experiences, they established a common foundation and discussed the first steps of the project.