Protecting Copenhagen from floods could take decades

Safeguarding the city will take up to 20 years

Protecting the Danish capital from floods like the ones caused by the heavy rain over the weekend will take 15-20 years, according to the deputy mayor of technical and environmental issues, Morten Kabell.

Kabell said that citizens need to be patient because safeguarding Copenhagen from the torrential rain storms – which also flooded the city causing significant damage back in 2011 – will take time.

“We need to rebuild the city and that is a huge process,” Kabell told TV2.dk. “We want to ensure we are using the right solutions from the start.”

 ”Of course, I wish we were finished tomorrow, but unfortunately we can’t do it any faster.”

READ MORE: Floods still affecting traffic this morning

Flood protection over bikes and benches
Although not to the same extent as in 2011, heavy rains doused Copenhagen over the weekend, flooding a number of areas in the city (including the Metro) causing considerable traffic problems and damage.

Jakob Engel-Schmidt, a Venstre party MP, has blasted the City Council for not doing enough to help the thousands of commuters who drive to the capital every day.

“It’s frustrating to continuously see main roads like Lyngbyvejen flooded, while the council prioritises things like luminescent benches and million-kroner city bikes,” Engel-Schmidt told TV2.dk. 

In 2012, the government’s 2013 budget negotiations with the councils led to an agreement to find an extra 2.5 billion kroner to invest in climate adaptation measures in response to the devastating rain-induced floods of 2011.

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