Intensive preparation in the Ahr valley for civil protection exercise
August 1, 2025
Intensive preparation in the Ahr valley for civil protection exercise
This week, we met in the Ahr Valley with representatives from the Ahrweiler district, as well as local authorities and emergency services (BOS), to discuss a practical technical exercise in civil protection and disaster response, including possible locations and procedures. Also joining us were colleagues from the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK), which has been closely connected with both the DLR and partners in the Ahr Valley for many years.
Discussions and preparations for a technical exercise in civil protection and disaster control in the Ahr valley
Joint meeting with representatives of the district of Ahrweiler and local authorities and organizations with security tasks (BOS)
Image: 1/3, Credit:
Landkreis Ahrweiler
Emergency services during preparations for the civil protection exercise
Image: 2/3, Credit:
DLR
View over the Ahr valley
Image: 3/3, Credit:
DLR
In the DLR research project RESITEK, 17 DLR institutes have come together to demonstrate and test new technologies and their integration. The aim is to support and improve existing systems and processes in future disaster situations. Information from satellites, drones, critical infrastructure monitoring, as well as ground-based and robotic reconnaissance, will be combined to provide a faster and more comprehensive overview of the affected area. These data will be compiled and visualized in an interactive, web-based situational picture by the Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI).
We have ambitious plans for our demonstration in June 2026, and are therefore extremely grateful for the dedicated support of District Administrator Cornelia Weigand of Ahrweiler, as well as her colleagues Christoph Münch, Frank Linnarz (BKI Ahrweiler District), Manuel Borgmann (DRK State Association RLP), Jan Degen (DRK District Association AW), Michael Alberti (DRK District Association AW), Dr. Christoph Peters (DRK OV Gr), and Tim Schorn (DRK OV Gr).
A special thanks also goes to our coordinator between DLR research and users, Uwe Kippnich, and his colleagues Dr. Felix Boehringer and Margareta Mihalic Dogan from the BRK, who are providing us with outstanding support in networking and all matters of civil and disaster protection.
As head of demonstration planning and implementation, I would also like to thank my colleagues Dr. Armin Wedler (Project and Co-Demo Lead), Dr. Joachim Götz (Project Lead), and the many other team members for their highly motivated and intensive collaboration, which is already bearing fruit in the planning phase.
We are very much looking forward to the next steps.
Contact
Konstanze Lechner
Deputy head of Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI)
