Vorarlberg plans further investment after hot, dry summer

Vorarlberg’s state government plans to continue investing in water supplies, climate-resilient agriculture and forestry, and heat-adapted buildings after a summer of record temperatures and little rainfall, ORF reported.

Vorarlberg Governor Markus Wallner of the Austrian People’s Party said on Tuesday that the state had come through the heat relatively well. “It was not a summer of catastrophe, but it was a warning signal,” he said, stressing the importance of cooperation between government departments.

Wallner said the response concerned health, schools and jobs, as well as buildings, town centres, nature and infrastructure. No specific funding amount was announced.

Water supply a priority

Securing the water supply was one of the most important tasks of basic public services, said State Councillor Christian Gantner of the Austrian People’s Party. Groundwater reservoirs and interconnected water networks are intended to help during shortages.

Gantner said only about 4% of Vorarlberg’s population is still supplied by providers without a second source of water. Projects already under way include the Middle Walgau drinking water association, which serves six municipalities and is being built, and the Bregenzerwald drinking water association, covering 10 municipalities, which is going through the approval process.

Flood protection work will also continue, including on several sections of the Ill river and through the Rhesi project on the Alpine Rhine.

Support for agriculture and forestry

Farmers and foresters also struggled with the water shortage. Water and feed had to be flown to some alpine pastures for livestock, while feed yields and harvests in the valleys partly declined.

The state provided short-term support during the summer, but Wallner said this needed to be supplemented by long-term measures. Preparations by individual businesses, water storage, climate-adapted buildings and plants were now essential, he said.

Plants were also needed in forests. Together with moors, they were “allies” in dealing with climate change because they cool the environment, protect the soil and bind carbon, Wallner said.

Adapting settlements to heat

Settlements must also be adapted to a warmer and drier climate. Green spaces, the removal of sealed surfaces and shading are to play a greater role in planning settlements and cycle routes. These measures directly affect quality of life and are also an economic location factor, officials said.

People working outdoors, as well as residents and staff in care homes, hospitals and childcare facilities, are particularly affected by heat, Wallner said. Conditions in hospitals this summer had sometimes been a major challenge, especially in older buildings.