Workshops in the RENUWAS project: Developing solutions for water scarcity together
The RENUWAS research project is dedicated to the growing challenges caused by water scarcity and periods of drought. The objective of the project is to develop basic approaches and transferable strategies that support municipalities in managing periods of drought. The city of Herten is taking on a central role here as a practical partner: the measures developed will be tailored specifically to local requirements in order to create a cross-stakeholder action plan for water shortage situations. This includes, for example, prioritising water usage sectors in the event of acute drinking water shortages.
One focus of the project in early 2025 was on conducting workshops with various relevant stakeholders from Herten and the region. A series of five topic-specific workshops were held:
1. Water management: exchange with the Lower Water Authority, the Ruhr Regional Association (RVR) and Gelsenwasser as the central water supplier.
2. Municipal topics: Involvement of municipal specialist departments to take local particularities into account.
3. Trade and industry: co-operation with the municipal economic development agency to identify economic requirements.
4. Disaster control: discussion with the district of Recklinghausen and the fire brigade about emergency plans.
5. Critical infrastructure: focus on Herten hospital as an essential player in crisis situations.
The outcomes of these workshops are currently being evaluated and will be incorporated directly into the development of a strategy for dealing with water scarcity in Herten. Specific measures are to be derived on the basis of these findings, which will then be tested in simulation games to ensure that they can also be implemented in practice.
In view of the increasingly dry weather conditions that have already become apparent in the first few months of 2025, the RENUWAS project provides important input for a resilient water supply in cities and regions.