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Germany plans to invest €10 billion ($12 billion) in civil protection and disaster management by 2029, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt confirmed in an interview with Bild published Sunday. The initiative, dubbed the Civil Protection Pact, aims to modernize emergency infrastructure amid rising geopolitical tensions and threats such as extremism and hybrid attacks.
Key components of the plan include:
- Installation of nationwide siren systems and digital mobile alerts
- Construction of new public shelters
- Procurement of approximately 1,500 emergency vehicles, including fire trucks, ambulances, mobile command units, and heavy equipment
- Expanded disaster response drills involving the military, rescue services, and humanitarian organizations
The move follows Germany’s reassessment of its civil defense capabilities after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Many of the country’s 579 public shelters—built during the Cold War—have remained inactive for decades.
Dobrindt emphasized that the investment reflects a strategic upgrade to safeguard citizens and critical infrastructure in an increasingly volatile global environment.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt Picture by Marc-Steffen Unger for OECD
