Protection against flooding

Upper Austria invests 104 million euros against floods

A look back to 2013: back then, the Eferding basin was flooded over a large area.

(Bild: Schütz Markus)

Upper Austria narrowly avoided a flood disaster in the fall - partly because targeted investments have been made in recent years: The municipalities and the province of Upper Austria want to continue building this year. However, it is still unclear how much money will come from the federal government.

The question is whether the federal government will continue to be generous in financing flood protection measures in the future: since the flood disasters in 2002 and 2013, tens of millions have been invested in dams, dykes and walls in Upper Austria. Over the past twelve years, €172 million has been invested in 166 projects - not including those directly on the Danube. Governor Thomas Stelzer (ÖVP) and Provincial Councillor Stefan Kaineder (Greens), who is responsible for this, promise that this will continue in the future.

274 million euros for 81 flood protection structures
As of Friday, a total of 52 flood protection measures - excluding the Danube - are being planned and in some cases implemented, for which 104 million euros have been reserved. The largest upcoming projects for 2025 are protection projects in Attergau, Timelkam (both in the district of Vöcklabruck) and Rottenbach in the district of Grieskirchen. The investment volume for these three measures alone amounts to €25.6 million. 170 million will be invested in 29 projects along the Danube (Linz port, AEC, Asten and Eferding basin). Although Vienna has the upper hand here, the provinces and municipalities are still paying 50 percent.

All of the completed and planned projects are designed for 100-year floods.

Landesrat Stefan Kaineder, Grüne

Bild: Jöchl Martin

However: "All the projects that have been completed and are in the planning stage are designed for 100-year floods," says Provincial Councillor Kaineder: a study is currently being carried out on behalf of the federal government that looks 300 years into the future. The experts will be finished with their analysis this year, or by 2026 at the latest. "And then the situation will have to be reassessed," says Kaineder.

The three major Upper Austrian projects for 2025

The largest upcoming projects for this year: The Attergau protection concept comprises three retention basins with a total storage volume of 700,000 cubic meters, with construction scheduled for 2026. In the Timelkam flood protection project, the construction of a dam on the Vöckla, which began in 2012, will also be continued on the Dürren Ager and completed this year. On the Dürren Ager, 39 properties and 107 affected people will then be protected from 100-year floods. Another major project is the concept to protect the village of Rottenbach with the construction of dams, channel relocation, lowering of the river bed and the demolition and new construction of bridges. These three projects will trigger total investments of 26.5 million euros.

Provincial head and finance officer Stelzer also sees the investment in flood protection as an investment in the economy and the regions. "This is also support for the local construction industry. This is particularly important in the current challenging times," emphasizes Stelzer.

I assume that the financing will continue as before. I can't imagine that we will cut back on flood protection.

Landeshauptmann Thomas Stelzer, ÖVP

For the province of Upper Austria, the two promise that money for flood protection will always be available. However, according to an agreement, the federal government is also obliged to make millions available here. How Vienna will contribute in future has not yet been clarified in detail, but Stelzer cannot imagine that savings will be made here: "I assume that the financing will continue as before. I can't imagine cutting back on flood protection."

According to studies, a 100-year flood can be expected in Upper Austria every eleven years. In 2024, a catastrophe was narrowly avoided. "This shows that the measures taken are working," say the two politicians.