Karlsruhe, Germany
City population: 287412
Duration: 2004 – 2010
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: 76650 m2
Type of area: Other
Last updated: June 2024

The project area comprises the morphological floodplain of the Rhine to the north and south of the city of Karlsruhe and sections of the river Alb, covering an area of about 7.665 hectares in total. Alongside Karlsruhe, five smaller communities in the neighbourhood contribute to the project as partners. Due to the channelling of the Rhine, the construction of dykes and the isolation of river channels, the area has lost its natural floodplains and precious habitats and became more vulnerable to flooding. Major objectives of the project are the re-introduction of natural floodplains and the enhancement of natural habitats for local flora and fauna. (Ref. 7). The project included an exceptionally wide range of measures including species protection measures, the complete desludging of parts of the Rhine, the re-establishment of softwood and hardwood forests typical of the floodplain, the construction of bridges, the natural remodelling of the entire river Trench systems and the creation of new bodies of water. (Ref. 9) The project also provides environmental education, informing the public about activities and encouraging their participation (Ref. 7)

Living \"Rhineauen\" Wetlands (2005)
Living \"Rhineauen\" Wetlands (2005)
Photographer: Angelika Hafner (Lilienstr. 14, D-76327 Pfinztal, [email protected]), retrieved 08/18/2018 from Peter Zimmermann

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
  • In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
  • Grey infrastructure featuring greens
  • Riverbank/Lakeside greens

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Environmental education

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Protection of natural ecosystems

Project objectives

- Improvement of living conditions, expansion of habitats, improving the connectivity of river channels and floodplain waterbodies, improving the exchange of aquatic fauna, fostering rare species, public awareness-raising for nature conservation (Ref. 4 and 7) - Wildlife and habitat conservation are also important goals: protection of habitats, the establishment of species typical to the natural floodplain (Ref. 7 and 9) - Providing environmental education, informing the public about activities and encouraging their participation (Ref. 7) - Flood prevention: re-creation of natural floodplains that serve as retention areas (Ref. 7)

Implementation activities

- Reconstructing the river mouth of the Alb to improve river flow and velocity, thereby improving migration routes of fish. (Ref. 3 and 7) - Creating a still water body in the natural area of the "Jagdgrund" to serve as habitat for threatened frog species and dragonflies (Ref. 3 and 7) - The creation of a swine pasture to promote the endangered clover fern (Marsilea quadrifolia) (Ref. 9) - The renaturalization of the Rhine and flood protection: By means of the re-creation of natural floodplains that serve as retention areas, flood protection is improved. (Ref. 7) Parts of the Rhine are desludged. (Ref. 9) - The re-establishment of softwood and hardwood forests typical of the floodplain to the construction of bridges (Ref. 9) - Public engagement and education: publishing brochures and dissemination via project partners, conducting events, mobile electronic nature guide with GPS, guided tours and seminars, exhibitions, publishing an information book for laymen and scientific community (Ref. 3).

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Create new habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
  • Protect species
  • Undertake specific measures to protect species
  • Means for conservation governance
  • Raise public awareness

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Regional government

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The federal authority Baden-Württemberg located in Karlsruhe acts as a prolonged arm of the government coordinating the different institutions involved in the project. They defined the project, issued the project application to gather EU-Life funds and implemented the project together with several public and non-governmental partners (6 communities’ nature conservancy authority, water authority, fisheries management authority, 4 nature conservancy associations, 3 fishery associations) (Ref. 7). The Institute for Applied Computer Science of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) took part as did the Nature Conservation Center Karlsruhe-Rappenwört. (Ref. 9)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (The project is realised under the LIFE programme, the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with European added value (Ref. 8))
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Unknown

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
  • EU funds
  • Other

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Increased protection against flooding
  • Reduced risk of damages by drought
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Increased appreciation for natural spaces
  • Education
  • Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
  • Increased awareness of NBS and their benefits

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. Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe (2012) LIFE-Projekt ‘Lebendige Rheinauen bei Karlsruhe’. Available at: Source link 23 Oct. 2020].

2. Stadt Karlsruhe (2016b) Karlsruhe: Natur- und Umweltschutz. Lebendige Rheinaue. Available at: Source link 23 Oct. 2020].

3. Kern, K. and Zimmermann, P. (2010) EU-Life-Projekt. Lebendige Rheinauen bei Karlsruhe. LIFE2004/D/00025. Technischer Bericht. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 23 Oct. 2020].

4. Staatliche Naturschutzverwaltung Baden-Württemberg (2010) LIFE-Projekt „ Lebendige Rheinauen bei Karlsruhe “ – Ergebnisse. Karlsruhe. Available at: Source link 23 Oct. 2020].

5. Naumann, S., Davis, M., Goeller, B., Gradmann, A. and Mederake, L. (2015) Ökosystembasierte Ansätze zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel und zum Klimaschutz im deutschsprachigen Raum Ökosystembasierte Ansätze zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel und zum Klimaschutz im deutschsprachigen Raum, BfN-Skripten. Bonn. Available at: Source link 23 Oct. 2020].

6. Rijkswaterstaat Ruimte voor de Rivier (no date) alfa. Adaptive land use for flood alleviation. [Weblink unavailable in 2020].

7. Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe (no date) Living Rhine floodplain near Karlsruhe. Available at: Source link 23 Oct. 2020].

8. European Commission (2017) Environment. LIFE Programme. Available at: Source link 23 Oct. 2020].

9. Staatliche Naturschutzverwaltung Baden-Württemberg. (2010). Naturschutz-Info. Karlsruhe: LUBW Landesanstalt für Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Württemberg.