Disaster Protection: Almost 1.5 Billion Invested Last Year

The vast majority was allocated to the areas of drinking water supply, wastewater disposal, water ecology, and flood protection, according to a statement from the Ministry of the Environment on Sunday. Still, 220 million were spent on torrent and avalanche control.

Ministry of the Environment focuses further on drinking water supply

The Ministry of the Environment is placing another focus on drinking water supply. A recent study by the ÖVGW (Austrian Association for Gas and Water) among water suppliers showed that only three percent had struggled with short-term shortages. Since 1993, over 17,400 drinking water projects have been implemented nationwide with total investments of around 5.6 billion euros.

Every investment in protection against natural hazards such as floods, torrents, avalanches, or mudslides is an investment in safety, quality of life, and a resilient future, said Environment Minister Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP) in a statement. Only when technical and ecological measures are combined can we better protect ourselves from the consequences of extreme weather events.

(APA/Red)

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