The focus is on addressing increasing heat, longer dry spells, and the rising risks of heavy rainfall and flooding. The goal is to make Wiesbaden more climate-resilient, protect the health of the population, and at the same time improve the quality of life and the city’s appeal as a place to live and spend time. 

Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende says: “Looking back at the summer shows just how much the heat has affected us this year. And according to all forecasts, this situation will continue to worsen in the coming years. The Climate Adaptation Plan provides us with a foundation on which we can systematically develop and implement measures to protect the people, the environment, and the infrastructure in our city from the consequences of climate change.” 

Mayor Christiane Hinninger adds: “We have already begun climate adaptation efforts in Wiesbaden. Overall, however, we need to advance these efforts even more systematically and with a citywide perspective. The Climate Adaptation Concept is intended to be a technical, informal planning tool aimed at anchoring climate adaptation even more firmly as a cross-cutting task within sustainable urban development.”

The Climate Adaptation Concept expands upon the state capital’s existing KLIMA_PLAN. While climate protection is primarily focused on limiting the causes of climate change, the WI-KLAK is about preparing the city for the unavoidable consequences of climate change. 

The WI-KLAK is designed as a holistic, citywide concept. It formulates overarching goals and links long-term strategies with concrete spatial measures at the city and local levels. 

The plan is therefore divided into several sections. An initial assessment describes the climatic conditions in Wiesbaden and the city’s infrastructure. An overarching strategy developed from this assessment defines guiding principles and areas of action for how Wiesbaden intends to address climate change. Finally, a catalog of measures contains specific options for climate adaptation that are suitable for implementation in individual projects or for integration into ongoing initiatives. The focus here is on the local level. 

The aim is to ensure that climate adaptation is given greater consideration in the future when designing and developing urban spaces. As an informal planning tool, it is intended to help improve the quality of urban spaces, the quality of life, and health promotion. 

Another goal of WI-KLAK is to raise awareness of the importance of climate adaptation and to promote corresponding action—in politics, within the city administration, in the business community, and among the general public. Furthermore, it serves as a basis for securing federal and state funding programs for Wiesbaden. 

The concept has been in development since 2024 under the leadership of the Environmental Office in collaboration with the relevant departments and agencies, municipal corporations, and external experts. Its development was funded over a two-year period by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV). 

The residents of Wiesbaden also contributed to the development of the KLAK. As part of a public participation process, two public information events were held, among other activities. In addition, information on climate adaptation was provided at information booths during various events, and surveys on climate adaptation and the Climate Adaptation Concept were conducted. 

The complete draft of the Climate Adaptation Concept is available for download at www.wiesbaden.de/leben-wohnen/umwelt-natur-klima/klimaschutz/klimaanpassungskonzept (opens in a new tab).