German authorities allocate €10 billion for civil defence modernisation

German authorities will allocate €10 billion to modernise the country’s civil defence system, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.

“We are modernising the civil defence system... By 2029, €10 billion will be allocated for large-scale modernisation in the areas of protection against natural disasters, crises, and conflicts,” Dobrindt added, Caliber.Az reports via German media.

The program will be the most extensive in decades. Planned measures include:

• Procurement of new warning systems, including sirens;

• Expansion of the shelter network;

• More frequent training exercises;

• Development of crisis-resistant digital communication between civil defence structures and the Bundeswehr.

According to the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK), Germany’s public shelters currently provide space for 480,000 people, while the country’s population is estimated at 85 million.

By Khagan Isayev