BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 20. The European
Investment Bank (EIB) has granted €500 million in promotional loans
to Germany’s Emschergenossenschaft and Lippeverband (EGLV) to fund
climate adaptation and flood protection projects in the
Emscher-Lippe region, the bank announced, Trend reports.
The long-term loans, with a 30-year term, were signed by EIB
Vice-President Nicola Beer and EGLV Executive Board Chair Prof. Dr
Uli Paetzel at the Hof Emscher-Auen former farmstead near Dortmund.
The financing will allow EGLV to invest in river restoration, dyke
rehabilitation, pumping station upgrades, and other measures to
protect residents against heavy rainfall and flooding, while
keeping local charges affordable through favourable interest
rates.
“For many years, our long-term financing has supported the water
systems of the Emscher-Lippe region — first in modern wastewater
treatment, and now in climate adaptation and flood protection,”
Beer said. “These investments will provide several hundred thousand
people with better protection against floods and ensure costs
remain manageable for local communities.”
Paetzel added that the loans would allow high-investment
projects to be implemented quickly while spreading costs over
decades. “The promotional loans enable wastewater charges to be
adjusted gradually, shielding residents from sudden increases,” he
said.
The EIB has financed the Emscher restoration project since 2011,
providing a total of €2.1 billion in promotional loans to help
revive the river, once known as “Germany’s dirtiest.” The bank has
also invested over €3.3 billion in Germany’s water sector over the
past decade, supporting projects in cities including Augsburg,
Berlin, Hamburg, and Cologne.
The new funding continues the decades-long collaboration between
the EIB, Emschergenossenschaft, and Lippeverband to ensure clean
water, improved flood protection, and climate resilience for the
densely populated Ruhr region.
