Augsburg, Germany
City population: 264467
Duration: 2013 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: 1200000000 m2
Type of area: Natural Heritage Area/Untouched nature
Last updated: October 2021

The Natural Park of Augsburg - Western Forests covers a 1,200 square kilometer of the natural area. Founded in 2007, the park aims at preservation and development the natural biotopes in the area. As a supplier of timber, as a guarantor for clean air and pure water, and last but not least for recreation seekers, it is of outstanding importance in Bavarian Swabia (Ref. 1).

An open field with trees and a building with a steeple in the background
http://naturpark-augsburg.de/naturpark-augsburg/das-schutzgebiet-2/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Improvements to water quality
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Economic development: agriculture
  • Economic development: industry
  • Tourism support
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Preservation of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Sustainable consumption and production (SDG 12)
  • Sustainable production

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature

Project objectives

1. To preserve, cultivate, and restore natural and historically characteristic landscape (Ref. 4) 2. To establish environmentally-friendly economic and regional development strategy (Ref. 4) 3. Sustainable management of natural resources (Ref. 4) 4. A natural and economically viable tourism (Ref. 4) 5. To preserve biodiversity in the area (Ref. 4) 6. A sustainable agriculture and forestry with its regional peculiarities (Ref. 4) 7. To develop naturally-oriented education (Ref. 4)

Implementation activities

1. Coordination and development of natural protection measures (Ref. 4) 2. The preservation of some characteristic landscape parts by preserving a sustainable agricultural and forestry economy practices (Ref. 4). 3. Planning procedures, especially in urban land use planning and construction (Ref. 4) 4. A close cooperation with the forest owners and optimization of the diverse protective and recreational functions of the forest (Ref. 4) 5. Dissemination of targeted information for local population on the importance of environmental protection (Ref. 4) 6. Installation of touring and information boards and other facilities along tourist routes (Ref. 4) 7. Sustainable implementation of state-subsidized landscape management measures in the existing areas of focus (Ref. 4) 8. Cooperation with NANU e. V. and other environmental education organizations (for instance, Swabian environmental stations) for joint advertising (Ref. 4).

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Manage biological resources for conservation and sustainable use
  • Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

  • Non-government organisation/Civil Society
  • Private sector/Corporate/Company
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Regional government
  • Local government/municipality
  • District/neighbourhood association

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Crowd-sourcing/Crowd-funding/Participatory budget
  • Dissemination of information and education

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

"On May 30, 1974, after substantial support from the Bavarian State Forestry Administration, the government of Swabia and the Swabian district as well as many local authorities, an association was founded with the aim of creating and later maintaining a nature park. In 1988 an important goal was achieved. The ordinance on the Augsburg - Western Forests Nature Park was issued by the Bavarian State Ministry for Regional Development and Environmental Issues" (Ref. 3). "The Augsburg - Westliche Wälder e. V. ( Nature Park Association ) is responsible for the care and development of the nature park. For this purpose, a maintenance and development plan was drawn up in 2004 , with the help of which nature conservation and human use should be reconciled" (Ref. 2).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (Directive 92/43 / EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora is a directive on the protection of the environment of the European Union (EU). It is also commonly referred to as the fauna-flora habitat directive (FFH Directive) or habitat directive (Ref. 7). )
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The landscape protection area in Germany is provided by the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG). Since landscape protection is subject to national law and the regulations are issued by the federal states, the protecting measures can differ significantly from region to region (Ref. 5).)
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (1. Article 11 of the Bavarian Nature Conservation Act. The act defines the criteria for landscape protection and defines measurements particularly suitable for environmentally compatible recreational forms in the Natural Park of Augsburg Western Forests (Ref. 2). )

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • Crowdfunding

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Donations

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved water quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased number of protection areas
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Reduced biodiversity loss

Economic impacts

  • More sustainable tourism

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Increased sustainability of agriculture practices
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Protection of natural heritage
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape / infrastructure

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

Yes

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

1. Augsburg Landkreis (2017). Naturpark Augsburg - Westliche Wälder. Available at: Source link (Accessed: November 1, 2020).
2. Augsburg Gruner Westen (2017). Großschutzgebiet Naturpark. Available at: Source link (Accessed: November 1, 2020).
3. Augsburg Gruner Westen (2017). Naturparkverein. Available at: Source link (Accessed: November 1, 2020).
4. L e i t b i l d (2013). Naturpark Augsburg – Westliche Wälder e. V. Ein Naturpark zum Anfassen. Available at: Source link (Accessed: November 1, 2020).
5. Wikipedia (2017). Landschaftsschutzgebiet. Available at: Source link (Accessed: November 1, 2020).
6. Landschaftspflegeverband (2017). Landschaftspflegeverband. Stadt Augsburg. Available at: Source link (Accessed: November 1, 2020).
7. Wikipedia (2017). Richtlinie 92/43/EWG (Fauna-Flora-Habitat-Richtlinie). Available at: Source link (Accessed: November 1, 2020).
8. Wanderkompass (2017). Naturpark Augsburg. Available at: Source link (Accessed: November 1, 2020).