Soils and climate change: New aspects of estimating water erosion hazards as a result of climate change

Under the changing climatic conditions, soil erosion in preventive soil protection is of central importance. So far, the regionally different precipitation events have been mapped by regression equations in which the height of the summer precipitation determines the rain erosivity. These approaches are insufficient to take into account the dynamics of the change in heavy rain characteristics, since they only react with great time delay to a changed precipitation characteristic. Therefore, the German Weather Service has developed a method based on rain radar measurements. The procedure is briefly presented and the effects on erosion are explained. Corresponding maps for regenerativeness are regularly updated by the German Weather Service. With corresponding soil and relief maps, the Geological Service NRW creates erosion hazard maps that support the advice of agriculture. The results are also used by policymakers in order to be able to use appropriate funding programmes in a targeted manner.