On Whit Friday 2024, more rain falls in the Saarland in a single day than usually falls in an entire month. The torrential rain leaves the federal state almost entirely under water. Hardly any body of water remains within its banks; hardly any local authority is spared. Thousands of emergency services personnel are deployed; one woman dies. The damage to local authorities, businesses and private households is estimated at around 300 million euros.

Data helps to assess risks

The shock continues to reverberate to this day – including for Petra Berg, the Saarland’s Minister for the Environment, Climate, Agriculture, Mobility and Consumer Protection. “We are drawing on real-life experiences and events that have affected us deeply,” she says in her keynote speech at SCCON 2026. There, she presents a pioneering project by the state: the digital twin “Saarland 3D”. She says she is “a little proud” that the state now has its own digital counterpart, which will help prevent a great deal of damage in the future.

Visualising hazards in three dimensions

For the Digital Twin, the State Office for Surveying, Geoinformation and Land Development (LVGL) compiles all of Saarland’s geodata. Combined with real-time data from sensors and water levels, this creates three-dimensional visualisations, for example of flood and heavy rainfall hazards. “This goes beyond the traditional representation of river courses,” explains Berg.

Identifying risks to your own property

The visualisation enables fire brigades, civil protection services and aid organisations to plan their operations at an early stage. Local authorities can take targeted preventive measures “in areas where rainwater runoff occurs unexpectedly, and every homeowner can immediately see whether and to what extent their property is affected and how they can protect it”. To illustrate heavy rainfall events clearly, the data is “presented in five-minute intervals”. It can be animated or accessed via a slider.

Simulations for urban planning

The 3D twin is set to expand further in the coming years. Among other things, there are plans for a solar roof register, which will enable the expected contribution of photovoltaic systems to energy generation to be estimated. Local authorities can virtually demolish and rebuild buildings as part of their urban planning and present their projects to the public at an early stage. Simulations make the planning process more transparent for residents. This is important, emphasises Berg: cities must adapt their infrastructure to the growing challenges posed by climate change and extreme weather. “In times like these, we need the public’s support to do so.”