The entirety of all measures and structures that serve to protect areas, buildings, and people from flooding caused by high water. These include, for example, dikes, dams, or mobile flood barriers.
example
Nach der letzten Flutkatastrophe wurde viel Geld in den Hochwasserschutz investiert.
After the last flood disaster, a lot of money was invested in flood protection.
Usage tips
Word composition
This word is a clear example of a German compound. It consists of 'Hochwasser' (flood/high water) and 'Schutz' (protection). So it literally means 'protection against high water'.
EXAMPLE
Der Bau von Deichen ist eine wichtige Maßnahme für den Hochwasserschutz.
The construction of dikes is an important measure for flood protection.
Word family with '-schutz'
The component '-schutz' is very productive in German and always means 'protection against something'. If you recognize this pattern, you can understand many other words, for example 'Datenschutz' (data protection), 'Umweltschutz' (environmental protection), or 'Brandschutz' (fire protection).
EXAMPLE
Guter Datenschutz ist für Online-Dienste sehr wichtig.
Good data protection is very important for online services.
Typical collocations
Common verbs used with 'Hochwasserschutz' (flood protection) are 'in den Hochwasserschutz investieren' (to invest in flood protection), 'den Hochwasserschutz verbessern' (to improve flood protection), or 'Maßnahmen für den Hochwasserschutz ergreifen' (to take measures for flood protection).
EXAMPLE
Die Regierung plant, mehr Geld in den Hochwasserschutz zu investieren.
The government plans to invest more money in flood protection.