In general, Germany is a country with plenty of water. But the recent dry months have shown that water shortages can happen in certain regions and at certain times of year. This can lead to conflicts between households, commercial and agricultural water users. In his presentation "Challenges in water management require innovative solutions", which was part of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s "Water as a Resource" seminar in Essen, Dr Markus Rieger-Fels looked at the challenges facing Germany and how innovation in water management can be promoted.
He referred to the findings of the 2025 report by the Expert Commission on Research and Innovation (E-FI). According to it, there is a need for improved data collection on water withdrawal rights and actual withdrawals in a transparent water registry. The E-FI also recommended adjusting water withdrawal and wastewater fees, consolidating service areas, and testing technical and regulatory innovations in regulatory sandboxes. This can create incentives to develop and adopt innovations for limiting and managing water shortages, as well as for improving water quality.
