Establishment of a competence center and a network of actors for the integration of green infrastructure into the transformation process of the coal-mining regions of Saxony-Anhalt

The project aims to establish a green infrastructure competence center with a network of stakeholders, thereby creating the necessary conditions for the high-quality implementation of targeted measures for biodiversity and climate protection in Saxony-Anhalt’s coal mining areas. Successful demonstration areas and pilot projects will visualize the effectiveness of the measures, and the know-how will be passed on to various stakeholder groups in further training and qualification measures. This will also open up new business areas in the fields of landscaping, landscape conservation, and wild plant propagation. The coal mining areas in Saxony-Anhalt are thus to be developed into nationally and internationally visible model regions for sustainable landscape development with a focus on climate protection and climate resilience, as well as high attractiveness as a place to live, work, and center one’s life. Consequently, positive direct and indirect effects on the labor market are to be expected.

Project priorities

• Work package 1: Establishment of a Green Infrastructure Competence Center at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
• Work package 2: Establishment and coordination of a network of stakeholders in green infrastructure in the Burgenlandkreis and Anhalt-Bitterfeld districts
• Work package 3: Transfer of skills through continuing education and training programs, including educational programs for civil society
• Work package 4: Demonstration areas for green infrastructure, climate protection, and climate resilience (focus on post-mining areas, old industrial wastelands and municipal brownfields, former contaminated sites)
• Work package 5: Pilot project on multifunctional land use by combining green infrastructure and renewable energy production in coal mining areas (focus on urban, peri-urban, and rural landscapes)
• Work package 6: Public relations and citizen participation

Project region

Burgenlandkreis and Salzlandkreis

Further project details

• What is green infrastructure?

  Green infrastructure includes natural biodiversity structures such as shrubbery, field margins, extensively farmed meadows and pastures, heathland, and reed beds, as well as functional biodiversity structures such as erosion control strips, riparian strips, flower strips and areas, field margins, roadside vegetation, and green roofs. These areas fulfill essential ecosystem services with varying degrees of importance, e.g., carbon sequestration, soil formation, groundwater recharge, water retention, water quality, reduction of dehydration and mitigation of temperature extremes, erosion control, promotion of beneficial organisms, aesthetics, education, contact with nature, and local recreation. They increase connectivity and make a decisive contribution to climate and biodiversity protection. Green infrastructure is also a location factor that increases the attractiveness of coal mining areas as a place to work and live and supports the population’s identification with the transformation process.

  Green infrastructure relieves pressure on other infrastructure and also contributes to cost savings. Examples include lower costs for repairing erosion damage after heavy rainfall, for managing runoff, and lower costs for irrigation and cooling thanks to improved water retention in cities and municipalities. Green infrastructure supports groundwater recharge and can help reduce the costs of drinking water treatment. By promoting beneficial organisms, costs for pest control are reduced both in the open countryside and in cities and municipalities. Near-natural and species-rich green infrastructure in cities, municipalities, and peri-urban areas also reduces the maintenance and upkeep costs of green and recreational areas through better adaptation to climate change and more extensive management.

  

  

  

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• Establishment of a competence center

  In the future, we will offer expert advice on green infrastructure, nature-based greening methods, and wild plant propagation in the districts of Burgenlandkreis and Anhalt-Bitterfeld as model regions through the Green Infrastructure Competence Center, which is currently under development. The overarching goal is to transform the mining landscapes into model regions for biodiversity and climate protection that are visible beyond the region.

  To this end, we will also develop new solutions in a recursive transfer process together with our network partners. In innovation forums, the KompetenzGrün team will gather requirements and suggestions from the coal mining region and develop new innovations for linking gray and green infrastructure as well as multifunctional land use, incorporating the establishment of green infrastructure together with our network partners.

  An overview of our tasks:

  • Implementation of innovations for establishing green infrastructure in a recursive transfer process together with network partners within the framework of innovation forums
  • Expert advice on planning and implementing measures to establish and manage green infrastructure and propagate wild plants
  • Review and mediation of suitable donor areas for direct harvesting (seed-rich mown grass and meadow threshing) and for the collection of basic seed for propagation, model establishment of selected conservation and propagation crops at network partners
  • Development of an interactive knowledge platform (website) for various functional areas of green infrastructure and an internal area for members of the stakeholder network. FAQ section, overview of demonstration areas and pilot projects with current evaluation results, announcements of planned activities, integration of step-by-step tutorials and information materials.

• Establishment and coordination of a network of stakeholders

  Our network of stakeholders brings together a wide variety of participants (public authorities, industry and commerce, associations, clubs, and private individuals). Through the exchange of experience between members and the competence center, through workshop processes, and through joint project developments, we will generate innovative ideas and develop them further together. This will enable us to create the essential conditions for implementing high-quality, targeted measures for biodiversity and climate protection. The stakeholder network will thus make an important contribution to the transformation process in the coal regions.

  In the first phase of the project, our work will focus on the Burgenlandkreis and Anhalt-Bitterfeld districts. Other potential partners from other districts can join the stakeholder network, but no active measures are yet taking place there.

  An overview of our tasks

  • Establishment and maintenance of the stakeholder network (with on-site meetings) with an internal area for exchange on the website; organization and implementation of the stakeholder workshop once a year for the exchange of experience and knowledge, preparation, implementation, and evaluation of stakeholder surveys
  • Planning and implementation of information events on various topics in the two model regions in order to jointly generate ideas for demonstration areas and pilot projects

• Transfer of expertise through continuing education and qualification programs

  We will provide specialized knowledge on the planning, establishment, and management of green infrastructure and multifunctional land use to public authorities, municipalities, businesses, industry, associations, and clubs through training and qualification programs. Our educational offerings for civil society are primarily intended for clubs, associations, and private individuals from the two districts, thereby also supporting greater identification with the transformation process. On the one hand, we will also integrate practical components for establishing elements of green infrastructure into the educational programs. On the other hand, we will also use the educational programs to impart skills for evaluating the success of such measures (including recognizing species and desired or undesired developments on areas with newly established green infrastructure and deriving measures for adapting maintenance management).

  An overview of our tasks

  • Development and implementation of training/qualification programs for establishing green infrastructure in coal mining areas, including preparation, implementation, and evaluation of surveys
  • Educational opportunities and activities for civil society (associations, organizations, private individuals), e.g., target group-specific workshops including guided and moderated implementation (e.g., in gardens and green spaces) and excursions in the two model regions, including preparation, implementation, and evaluation of surveys.

   

• Demonstration areas

  We have identified the following priority topics for demonstration areas:

  • Green infrastructure on recultivated former mining sites outside protected areas: Enhancement of species-poor and structurally poor areas by means of customized wild plant sowing and development of sustainable care and maintenance concepts that enable integration into regional economic cycles (including extensive grazing concepts, biomass utilization);
  • Green infrastructure on remediated contaminated sites and industrial wastelands: Creation of areas rich in flowers and structures as part of land recycling as urban-rural networking elements in biotope network systems and to increase the attractiveness of the residential environment (local recreation, adventure areas);
  • Green infrastructure in commercial and industrial areas: Biodiverse company premises and commercial areas, also in combination with PV systems, soil sealing reversal and rainwater infiltration, flowering parking lots and green roofs as an innovative overall concept for promoting ecosystem services in commercial and industrial settlements and compensating for negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services;
  • Green infrastructure in rural areas: Creation of colorful, species-rich field margins and verges along field paths, minor roads, and on the edges of standing and flowing water bodies to promote important ecosystem services (including nature experiences, buffering against nutrient inputs into water bodies, promoting pollinators, pest control);
  • Green infrastructure in urban areas: Species-rich wild plant seeds on municipal land, e.g., traffic islands, median strips, parking lots, parks and green spaces, cemeteries to optimize ecosystem services (including CO2 sequestration, water retention, temperature regulation (cooling effect in summer), attractiveness of residential and working environments).

  The KompetenzGrün team, together with its network partners, will implement and evaluate at least 12 demonstration areas in the model regions. The project team will advise the partners on the implementation of the demonstration and pilot areas. Our consulting services include:

  • Selection of suitable areas,
  • Assessment of the area potential and landscape ecological classification,
  • Selection of suitable vegetation types,
  • Compilation of seed mixture or planting material,
  • Advice on preparing the land and sowing or planting,
  • Joint inspections to assess development progress,
  • Recommendations for site management

  We also provide our partners with seeds for the demonstration plots.

• Pilot project for linking green infrastructure and renewable energy generation

  Another focus of the project is the application of concepts developed in research for the environmentally compatible integration of renewable energy systems into urban, peri-urban, and rural landscapes. Green infrastructure can compensate for negative environmental impacts in open-space photovoltaic systems as a biodiversity structure, promote integration into biotope networking structures, and, when implemented competently, even generate added value for biodiversity and increase public acceptance. Various pilot projects with local stakeholders are being planned and jointly implemented in the two model regions. The PV system technology is to be financed by the network partners; the project supports the planning and establishment of the green infrastructure.

  Possible topics for pilot projects:

  • Development of multifunctional land use through open-space photovoltaic systems with wild plant undersowing, management through sheep grazing or mowing (growth for hay production or energy recovery) on former mining and contaminated sites, as well as on municipal land and industrial wasteland;

  • Combination of wild plant greening with photovoltaic systems on industrial buildings and in commercial areas;

  • Planning of covered parking spaces with PV system and green roof for charging electric cars and e-bikes.

• Netzwerkpartner

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