Weather extremes as the "new normal": living with the consequences of climate change
The World Climate Conference begins today, 10 November, in Belém, Brazil. It is historic in two respects: it is the 30th World Climate Conference and exactly ten years have passed since the 1.5 degree target was agreed in the Paris Climate Agreement. But this target is in jeopardy: according to the European climate data agency Copernicus, 2024 was the first full year in which the Earth warmed by more than 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. And even if global warming is not determined on the basis of individual years, this clearly shows how urgently humanity needs to agree on global climate protection and at the same time develop strategies for effective climate impact adaptation.
Weather extremes caused by man-made climate change are increasingly characterising the "new normal". The year 2024 was also exceptionally warm in the Ruhre catchment area, with the average annual temperature exceeding 10 °C for the third time in a row - a value that had never been reached since records began in 1881. At the same time, 2024 was one of the five wettest runoff years with 30 per cent more precipitation than the long-term average. In contrast, 2025 shows a completely different picture with a precipitation deficit of almost 40 per cent from February to September and the driest March for over 30 years in the Ruhre catchment area.
It is also getting warmer and warmer under water in the Ruhre catchment area. Over the last 40 years, the average temperature of the Ruhr has risen by an average of 1.9 °C, and by as much as 2.1 °C in the winter months. The consequences of this warming are increased oxygen consumption, poorer mixing of the reservoirs and a lack of oxygen in deeper layers, as well as a deterioration in living conditions for native species such as brown trout and grayling, while warmth-loving invasive species such as gobies are spreading.
For the Ruhrverband, these climatic changes mean an ever-increasing challenge in reservoir management and in safeguarding water quality for the region. The Ruhrverband believes it has a responsibility to ensure the long-term security of supply and is also relying on the involvement of politicians, industry and the public to develop solutions for a climate-resilient and water-ecological future in the entire Ruhr catchment area.
"In view of the current threat situation in Germany and Europe and the tense economic situation, many people believe that the necessary climate targets are too ambitious. However, we must all be aware of the consequences for us and future generations if we relax our efforts. We must not simply lower our climate protection targets, but must also make the blue-green infrastructure more resilient through targeted climate adaptation measures. All municipalities in the Ruhre catchment area regard flood protection as a key task. This generational task is now on the agenda and must be planned and implemented jointly over the coming decade. To this end, it is crucial that funds from the Climate and Transformation Fund (KTF) also flow into the Ruhr catchment area," says Prof Christoph Donner, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Ruhrverband.