diff --git a/.github/scripts/make_release.py b/.github/scripts/make_release.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..01d166713
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/make_release.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""This script is part of the GitHub CI make-release pipeline
+
+It reads the version number from climada/_version.py and then uses the `gh` cli
+to create the new release.
+
+"""
+import glob
+import re
+import subprocess
+
+
+def get_version() -> str:
+    """Return the current version number, based on the _version.py file."""
+    [version_file] = glob.glob("climada*/_version.py")
+    with open(version_file, 'r', encoding="UTF-8") as vfp:
+        content = vfp.read()
+    regex = r'^__version__\s*=\s*[\'\"](.*)[\'\"]\s*$'
+    mtch = re.match(regex, content)
+    return mtch.group(1)
+
+
+def make_release():
+    """run `gh release create vX.Y.Z"""
+    version_number = get_version()
+    subprocess.run(
+        ["gh", "release", "create", "--generate-notes", f"v{version_number}"],
+        check=True,
+    )
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    make_release()
diff --git a/.github/scripts/prepare_release.py b/.github/scripts/prepare_release.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a18c823c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/prepare_release.py
@@ -0,0 +1,232 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""This script is part of the GitHub CI make-release pipeline
+
+The following preparation steps are executed:
+
+- update version numbers in _version.py and setup.py
+- purge the "Unreleased" section of CHANGELOG.md and rename it to the new version number
+- copy the README.md file to doc/misc/README.md, 
+  but without the badges as they interfere with the sphinx doc builder
+
+All changes are immediately commited to the repository.
+"""
+
+import glob
+import json
+import re
+import subprocess
+import time
+
+
+def get_last_version() -> str:
+    """Return the version number of the last release."""
+    json_string = (
+        subprocess.run(
+            ["gh", "release", "view", "--json", "tagName"],
+            check=True,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        )
+        .stdout.decode("utf8")
+        .strip()
+    )
+
+    return json.loads(json_string)["tagName"]
+
+
+def bump_version_number(version_number: str, level: str) -> str:
+    """Return a copy of `version_number` with one level number incremented."""
+    major, minor, patch = version_number.split(".")
+    if level == "major":
+        major = str(int(major)+1)
+    elif level == "minor":
+        minor = str(int(minor)+1)
+    elif level == "patch":
+        patch = str(int(patch)+1)
+    else:
+        raise ValueError(f"level should be 'major', 'minor' or 'patch', not {level}")
+    return ".".join([major, minor, patch])
+
+
+def update_readme(_nvn):
+    """align doc/misc/README.md with ./README.md but remove the non-markdown header lines from """
+    with open("README.md", 'r', encoding="UTF-8") as rmin:
+        lines = [line for line in rmin.readlines() if not line.startswith('[![')]
+    while not lines[0].strip():
+        lines = lines[1:]
+    with open("doc/misc/README.md", 'w', encoding="UTF-8") as rmout:
+        rmout.writelines(lines)
+    return GitFile('doc/misc/README.md')
+
+
+def update_changelog(nvn):
+    """Rename the "Unreleased" section, remove unused subsections and the code-freeze date,
+    set the release date to today"""
+    releases = []
+    release_name = None
+    release = []
+    section_name = None
+    section = []
+    with open("CHANGELOG.md", 'r', encoding="UTF-8") as changelog:
+        for line in changelog.readlines():
+            if line.startswith('#'):
+                if line.startswith('### '):
+                    if section:
+                        release.append((section_name, section))
+                    section_name = line[4:].strip()
+                    section = []
+                    #print("tag:", section_name)
+                elif line.startswith('## '):
+                    if section:
+                        release.append((section_name, section))
+                    if release:
+                        releases.append((release_name, release))
+                    release_name = line[3:].strip()
+                    release = []
+                    section_name = None
+                    section = []
+                    #print("release:", release_name)
+            else:
+                section.append(line)
+        if section:
+            release.append((section_name, section))
+        if release:
+            releases.append((release_name, release))
+
+    with open("CHANGELOG.md", 'w', encoding="UTF-8") as changelog:
+        changelog.write("# Changelog\n\n")
+        for release_name, release in releases:
+            if release_name:
+                if release_name.lower() == "unreleased":
+                    release_name = nvn
+                changelog.write(f"## {release_name}\n")
+            for section_name, section in release:
+                if any(ln.strip() for ln in section):
+                    if section_name:
+                        changelog.write(f"### {section_name}\n")
+                    lines = [ln.strip() for ln in section if "code freeze date: " not in ln.lower()]
+                    if not section_name and release_name.lower() == nvn:
+                        print("setting date")
+                        for i, line in enumerate(lines):
+                            if "release date: " in line.lower():
+                                today = time.strftime("%Y-%m-%d")
+                                lines[i] = f"Release date: {today}"
+                    changelog.write("\n".join(lines).replace("\n\n", "\n"))
+                    changelog.write("\n")
+    return GitFile('CHANGELOG.md')
+
+
+def update_version(nvn):
+    """Update the _version.py file"""
+    [file_with_version] = glob.glob("climada*/_version.py")
+    regex = r'(^__version__\s*=\s*[\'\"]).*([\'\"]\s*$)'
+    return update_file(file_with_version, regex, nvn)
+
+
+def update_setup(new_version_number):
+    """Update the setup.py file"""
+    file_with_version = "setup.py"
+    regex = r'(^\s+version\s*=\s*[\'\"]).*([\'\"]\s*,\s*$)'
+    return update_file(file_with_version, regex, new_version_number)
+
+
+def update_file(file_with_version, regex, new_version_number):
+    """Replace the version number(s) in a file, based on a rgular expression."""
+    with open(file_with_version, 'r', encoding="UTF-8") as curf:
+        lines = curf.readlines()
+    successfully_updated = False
+    for i, line in enumerate(lines):
+        mtch = re.match(regex, line)
+        if mtch:
+            lines[i] = f"{mtch.group(1)}{new_version_number}{mtch.group(2)}"
+            successfully_updated = True
+    if not successfully_updated:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"cannot determine version of {file_with_version}")
+    with open(file_with_version, 'w', encoding="UTF-8") as newf:
+        for line in lines:
+            newf.write(line)
+    return GitFile(file_with_version)
+
+
+class GitFile():
+    """Helper class for `git add`."""
+    def __init__(self, path):
+        self.path = path
+
+    def gitadd(self):
+        """run `git add`"""
+        _gitadd = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "add", self.path],
+            check=True,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        ).stdout.decode("utf8")
+
+
+class Git():
+    """Helper class for `git commit`."""
+    def __init__(self):
+        _gitname = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "config", "--global", "user.name", "'climada'"],
+            check=True,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        ).stdout.decode("utf8")
+        _gitemail = subprocess.run(
+            ["git", "config", "--global", "user.email", "'test.climada@gmail.com'"],
+            check=True,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        ).stdout.decode("utf8")
+
+    def commit(self, new_version):
+        """run `git commit`."""
+        try:
+            _gitcommit = subprocess.run(
+                ["git", "commit", "-m", f"'Automated update v{new_version}'"],
+                check=True,
+                stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+            ).stdout.decode("utf8")
+            _gitpush = subprocess.run(
+                ["git", "push"],
+                check=True,
+                stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+                stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+            ).stdout.decode("utf8")
+        except subprocess.CalledProcessError as err:
+            message = err.stdout.decode("utf8")
+            print("message:", message)
+            if "nothing to commit" in message:
+                print("repo already up to date with new version number")
+            else:
+                raise RuntimeError(f"failed to run: {message}") from err
+
+
+def prepare_new_release(level):
+    """Prepare files for a new release on GitHub."""
+    try:
+        last_version_number = get_last_version().strip("v")
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as err:
+        if "release not found" in err.stderr.decode("utf8"):
+            # The project doesn't have any releases yet.
+            last_version_number = "0.0.0"
+        else:
+            raise
+    new_version_number = bump_version_number(last_version_number, level)
+
+    update_setup(new_version_number).gitadd()
+    update_version(new_version_number).gitadd()
+    update_changelog(new_version_number).gitadd()
+    update_readme(new_version_number).gitadd()
+
+    Git().commit(new_version_number)
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    from sys import argv
+    try:
+        LEVEL = argv[1]
+    except IndexError:
+        LEVEL = "patch"
+    prepare_new_release(LEVEL)
diff --git a/.github/scripts/setup_devbranch.py b/.github/scripts/setup_devbranch.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..96ab60dbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/setup_devbranch.py
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
+"""This script is part of the GitHub CI postrelease-setup-devbranch pipeline
+
+The following preparation steps are executed:
+
+- update version numbers in _version.py and setup.py: append a -dev suffix
+- insert a vanilla "unreleased" section on top of CHANGELOG.md
+
+The changes are not commited to the repository. This is dealt with in the bash script
+`setup_devbranch.sh` (which is also the caller of this script).
+"""
+import glob
+import json
+import re
+import subprocess
+
+
+def get_last_version() -> str:
+    """Return the version number of the last release."""
+    json_string = (
+        subprocess.run(
+            ["gh", "release", "view", "--json", "tagName"],
+            check=True,
+            stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
+            stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
+        )
+        .stdout.decode("utf8")
+        .strip()
+    )
+
+    return json.loads(json_string)["tagName"]
+
+
+def update_changelog():
+    """Insert a vanilla "Unreleased" section on top."""
+    with open("CHANGELOG.md", 'r', encoding="UTF-8") as changelog:
+        lines = changelog.readlines()
+
+    if "## Unreleased" in lines:
+        return
+
+    with open("CHANGELOG.md", 'w', encoding="UTF-8") as changelog:
+        changelog.write("""# Changelog
+
+## Unreleased
+
+Release date: YYYY-MM-DD
+
+Code freeze date: YYYY-MM-DD
+
+### Description
+
+### Dependency Changes
+
+### Added
+
+### Changed
+
+### Fixed
+
+### Deprecated
+
+### Removed
+
+""")
+        changelog.writelines(lines[2:])
+
+
+def update_version(nvn):
+    """Update the _version.py file"""
+    [file_with_version] = glob.glob("climada*/_version.py")
+    regex = r'(^__version__\s*=\s*[\'\"]).*([\'\"]\s*$)'
+    return update_file(file_with_version, regex, nvn)
+
+
+def update_setup(new_version_number):
+    """Update the setup.py file"""
+    file_with_version = "setup.py"
+    regex = r'(^\s+version\s*=\s*[\'\"]).*([\'\"]\s*,\s*$)'
+    return update_file(file_with_version, regex, new_version_number)
+
+
+def update_file(file_with_version, regex, new_version_number):
+    """Replace the version number(s) in a file, based on a rgular expression."""
+    with open(file_with_version, 'r', encoding="UTF-8") as curf:
+        lines = curf.readlines()
+    successfully_updated = False
+    for i, line in enumerate(lines):
+        mtch = re.match(regex, line)
+        if mtch:
+            lines[i] = f"{mtch.group(1)}{new_version_number}{mtch.group(2)}"
+            successfully_updated = True
+    if not successfully_updated:
+        raise RuntimeError(f"cannot determine version of {file_with_version}")
+    with open(file_with_version, 'w', encoding="UTF-8") as newf:
+        for line in lines:
+            newf.write(line)
+
+
+def setup_devbranch():
+    """Adjust files after a release was published, i.e.,
+    apply the canonical deviations from main in develop.
+    
+    Just changes files, all `git` commands are in the setup_devbranch.sh file.
+    """
+    main_version = get_last_version().strip('v')
+
+    dev_version = f"{main_version}-dev"
+
+    update_setup(dev_version)
+    update_version(dev_version)
+    update_changelog()
+
+    print(f"v{dev_version}")
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    setup_devbranch()
diff --git a/.github/scripts/setup_devbranch.sh b/.github/scripts/setup_devbranch.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1076a2d19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/scripts/setup_devbranch.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#!/usr/bin/bash
+
+set -e
+
+git config --global user.name 'climada'
+git config --global user.email 'test.climada@gmail.com'
+
+git fetch --unshallow || echo cannot \"git fetch --unshallow \"
+git checkout develop
+git pull
+
+git checkout origin/main \
+    setup.py \
+    doc/misc/README.md \
+    CHANGELOG.md \
+    */_version.py
+
+release=`python .github/scripts/setup_devbranch.py`
+
+git add \
+    setup.py \
+    doc/misc/README.md \
+    CHANGELOG.md \
+    */_version.py
+
+git commit -m "setup develop branch for $release"
+
+git push || echo cannot \"git push\"
+git checkout main
diff --git a/.github/workflows/make-release.yml b/.github/workflows/make-release.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8dab5790
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/make-release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+# This workflow will create a new release from main
+
+# the new version number is the old one increased by 1 in the given level [major, minor, patch]
+# first, some files are modified (_version.py, setup.py, CHANGELOG.md and doc/misc/README.md)
+# then, a new release is created on GitHub, tagged with v[new version number]
+
+name: Create a new release
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      level:
+        description: 'Release Level'
+        required: true
+        default: 'patch'
+        type: choice
+        options:
+          - major
+          - minor
+          - patch
+
+jobs:
+  github:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@master
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Prepare new release
+        run: .github/scripts/prepare_release.py ${{ inputs.level }}
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Publish
+        run: .github/scripts/make_release.py
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/postrelease-setup-devbranch.yml b/.github/workflows/postrelease-setup-devbranch.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..176a07644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/postrelease-setup-devbranch.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# This workflow will re-initialize the develop branch after a release was published
+
+# the version number of setup.py and _version.py will be taken from main, but have a "-dev" appendix
+# the CHANGELOG.md file will be updated and have a vanila "Unreleased" section
+# the doc/misc/README.md file is taken over from main
+
+name: Post-release develop setup
+
+on:
+  release:
+    types: [published]
+
+jobs:
+  github:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@master
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
+      - name: Update files
+        run: .github/scripts/setup_devbranch.sh
+        env:
+          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml b/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bdaab28a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-publish.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+# This workflow will upload a Python Package using Twine when a release is created
+# For more information see: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/automating-builds-and-tests/building-and-testing-python#publishing-to-package-registries
+
+# This workflow uses actions that are not certified by GitHub.
+# They are provided by a third-party and are governed by
+# separate terms of service, privacy policy, and support
+# documentation.
+
+name: Upload Python Package
+
+on:
+  release:
+    types: [published]
+
+permissions:
+  contents: read
+
+jobs:
+  deploy:
+
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    steps:
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+    - name: Set up Python
+      uses: actions/setup-python@v3
+      with:
+        python-version: '3.x'
+    - name: Install dependencies
+      run: |
+        python -m pip install --upgrade pip
+        pip install build
+    - name: Build package
+      run: python -m build
+    - name: Publish package
+      uses: pypa/gh-action-pypi-publish@27b31702a0e7fc50959f5ad993c78deac1bdfc29
+      with:
+        user: __token__
+        password: ${{ secrets.PYPI_API_TOKEN }}