Increasing traffic, ever denser populations and new sources of noise: Despite numerous successes in the field of noise protection in recent decades, many people in Germany are still affected by noise. UBA President Dirk Messner commented: “There is a considerable need for action at local, national and European level to significantly reduce the risk of illness among the population due to noise. We need to make our cities quieter.” The measures that can be taken to improve the protection of the population from noise will be presented and discussed at the symposium “50 years of UBA – 50 years of noise protection”.
The current results of the UBA's nationwide noise mapping show that around 16 million people are exposed to noise levels of over 55 decibels from road traffic alone. Rail transport (around 3.6 million people affected) and air traffic (around 800,000 people affected) also contribute to the fact that around 25 per cent of people in Germany live in areas where exposure to traffic noise is too high. The existing instruments and measures for noise protection must therefore be used even more efficiently and in a more targeted manner. A significant reduction in the adverse effects of traffic and industrial noise can only be achieved through a combination of various individual instruments – from vehicle and industrial equipment technology to tax law and traffic and urban planning.
As part of a comprehensive concept for noise reduction, measures to limit noise emissions are important in addition to traffic avoidance and the shifting of traffic to more environmentally friendly modes of transport. Instruments for reducing noise emissions are aimed at quieter vehicles and installations, operating modes and routes. With this in mind, the emission limits in particular must be consistently adapted to the advancing level of technology. The development of low-noise technologies must in turn be promoted by market-based incentives.
Since it was founded in 1974, the UBA has developed the scientific basis for numerous legal regulations on noise protection and thus made an important contribution to noise protection. For example, the Traffic Noise Protection Ordinance, which was issued in 1990 and prescribes noise protection measures on new or significantly altered roads and railway lines, is based on the scientific work of UBA experts. The UBA also played a key role in the amendment of the “Technical Instructions on Noise Abatement”, the most important set of regulations for protection against industrial and commercial noise.
Considerable efforts are still required to further reduce the harmful effects of noise on health. The UBA supports this process with information, scientific analyses and well-founded assessments.
The symposium will take place on 30 January 2024 in the UBA lecture theatre in Dessau-Roßlau. Further information on the programme can be found at the following link Symposium “50 years of UBA – 50 years of noise protection”
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