Oldenburg and East Frisian Water Association
Oldenburgisch-Ostfriesische Wasserverband (OOWV)
Why is the OOWV participating in CATCH?
OOWV is a water managing authority carrying shared responsibility for the water management in Oldenburg. Due to the loss of unpaved space and open water courses, water cannot be absorbed which makes the sewage and drainage system of the city increasingly vulnerable to floodings. A new climate adaptation strategy is necessary that protects the green spaces and at the same time meets requirements of future urban economic development. The question CATCH will help to answer is how new concepts of water management can become an integral part of urban planning in midsize cities like Oldenburg.
What is your main role in the project?
OOWV will be both a provider and receiver of expertise from the other cities and water authorities, but also from the scientific experts. It will assist in the joint development of tools and the joint formulation of the pilots that will be tested within the CATCH project. The experiences and results will be incorporated in the new climate adaptation strategy for Oldenburg.
What experience do you have with regards to climate adaptation?
OOWV is a public utility that supplies drinking water in the Northwest and is responsible for the sewage system in a number of local communities like Oldenburg. Oldenburg, one of the greenest cities of Germany, adopted an urban development programme in2014, with new strategic concepts for urban water management. The programme stresses that a resilient system requires a transformation process that besides technical measures, includes scoping the ecological systems and the institutional framework.
What is the organisation’s experience in participating EU co-financed projects or other international projects?
The OOWV is experienced in participating and managing EU co-financed projects. In 2000-2007 the INTERREG B projects Water4all, Nolimp, Farmers for Nature and WaterCost. Further the INTERREG C Projects Hanse Passage and ENMaR. In 2007-2013 the INTERREG B projects Cradle to cradle Island, WaterCAP, WaterCap Taskforce and the INTERREG A project Denewa were implemented. IN 2014 the INTERREG B projects WaterCoG and TOPSOIL started.