Leipzig, Germany
City population: 502920
Duration: 1994 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Project area: unknown
Type of area: Previous derelict area
Last updated: October 2021

Since the decay of the former DDR, the lignite industry had a major downturn. Most of the mines were closed and its remaining craters re-naturalized and flooded with ground- or rainwater to be revived as recreational lakes. In the Leipzig area of "Neuseenland" up to 23 artificial lakes were created since the nineties by the respective mining company "Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH" which has the obligation to securely and sustainably redevelop the area into forestry, agricultural, natural or recreational areas and reintegrate it into the adjacent landscape. The lakes have become important recreational areas for citizens (4, 8).

Leipziger Neuseenland
Source: https://www.leipzigseen.de/die-seen/goitzsche-see

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests
  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds

Key challenges

  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Flood protection
  • Improvements to water quality
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas

Project objectives

1. Creating recreational areas for the citizens of Leipzig (2); 2. Rehabilitation and recovery of former lignite mining areas (1, 2); 3. Redevelopment of brownfields into safe spaces for reuse (5, 16); 4. Reestablishing a self-regulating water balance in the industrially used areas (5); 5. Reestablishment of former use as agricultural, forestry and nature areas on areas compromised by decades of lignite mining (5); 6. Create areas for flood protection (2).

Implementation activities

The remediation process of the area, led by the former mining company in progress. - Demolition of the former installations are mostly finished - Industrial areas cleaned up, remaining craters were prepared for the flooding by flattening and securing the slopes which would otherwise break free. Since it would take over 100 years for the craters to fill up naturally with ground water, the company filled them with both ground water and artificially which also makes them safe for swimming. - Spoil heaps were flattened and regreened next to the creation of nature conservation areas where flora and fauna can redevelop. It is expected that until 2060 all crates will be filled and connected with shipping channels and hydraulic connections. Next to water retention, the lakes serve as important water sports and recreational areas for the citizens of Leipzig and have attracted a number of businesses such as restaurants, yacht clubs or water sports companies (1, 2, 3, 9).

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Private sector/Corporate/Company
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Private sector/corporate actor/company

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 LMBV (Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft) mining company has legal responsibility based on the Federal Mining Act establish conditions for secure future use of the formerly industrially used areas (3, 5). For the recultivation of the brownfield areas in Lausitz and Middle Germany it collaborated closely with nature conservation institutions and scientific institutions. In addition, also other parties are involved in the subsequent use of the lakes, such as recreational businesses, the regional tourism association and the local government via its city department for Urban Green and Wate (3). Furthermore, regional and national bodies are involved for funding the interventions (4). In order to enable regular coordination and networking of these actors, the control group Leipziger Neuseenland was established in 2006, in which the decision-makers from municipalities, districts, authorities, the renovation company and other institutions work together on an equal footing (17)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (The Water Framework Directive and the Federal Water Act are stated to influence the procedures of flooding of the lakes and their maintenance (7). The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) demands a good ecological status or ecological potential for natural and artificial lakes larger than 50 ha until 2015 or 2027, respectively. More than 100 artificial mining lakes originate from lignite mining activities in Germany and in total, 36 of the largest existing mining lakes in Germany were assessed and description of the limnological lake characteristics were elaborated (15). )
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The mining company has legal responsibility based on the Federal Mining Act to secure the spaces used for mining for the public and geotechnically, redevelop brownfield, equipment and installations not in use anymore, remediate the site, reestablish a self-regulating water balance, re-cultivate the areas used and provide the requirements for secondary use of the area as mandated by regional plans (5). )

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public national budget
  • Public regional budget
  • Corporate investment

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

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved water quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased number of protection areas
  • Increase in protected green space areas
  • Reduced biodiversity loss
  • Increased number of species present
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
  • Restoration of derelict areas

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported 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. Ferien- und Freizeitpark ‘Vorwerk Auenhain’ GmbH. (2017). Das Leipziger Neuseenland. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
2. Georg Westermann Verwaltungs GmbH. (n/a). Heimat und Welt. Leipziger Neuseenland um 2020 (Planung). Available at: Source link
3. Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. (2017). Lausitzer Seenland / Mitteldeutsche
Seenlandschaft. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
4. Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. (2017). Ökologie und forstliche Rekultivierung. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
5. Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. (2017). Bergbauliche Grundsanierung. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
6. Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. (2017). Flutungsmanagement der Bergbaufolgeseen. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
7. Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. (2017). Flutungsstand. Bergbaufolgeseen. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
8. Source link. (n/a). Das Leipziger Neuseenland. Vom Tagebauwerk zu einem Naherholungsgebiet. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
9. Müller, V. (2014). ‘Baden in der Braunkohlegrube’, Süddeutsche Zeitung, 7 July. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
10. Tappert, A. (2016). ‘IHK schlägt Alarm: Leipzigs Neuseenland steht auf der Kippe’, Leipziger Volkszeitung, 5 April. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
11. Tourismusverband ‘Sächsisches Burgen- und Heideland’ e.V. (n/a). Leipziger Neuseenland. Land in Bewegung. Leipzig. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
12. Grüner Ring Leipzig and Stadt Leipzig. (2008). Touristischer Gewässerverbund Leipziger Neuseenland. Auf acht Kursen die Gewässer der Region entdecken. Leipzig. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link Gewaesserverbund Leipziger Source link
13. Stadt Leipzig. (2017). Unterwegs in der Wasserstadt Leipzig und im Leipziger Neuseenland. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
14. Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. (2017). Finanzierung. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
15. Nixdorf, B. and Ramm, J. (2016). Übersicht zur ökologischen Situation ausgewählter Tagebauseen des Braunkohlebergbaus in Deutschland. Cottbus-Senftenberg. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
16. Lausitzer und Mitteldeutsche Bergbau-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH. (2010). Zwei Jahrzehnte Braunkohlesanierung. Eine Zwischenbilanz. Senftenberg. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link Zentrale/Publikationen Diverse/Source link
17. Leipziger Neuseenland. (n/a). FAQ. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
18. Leipziger Neuseenland. (n/a). Publikationen. Accessed on October 14, 2020, Source link
Leipziger Neuseenland
Source: https://www.leipzigseen.de/die-seen/cospudener-see/die-entstehung-des-cospudener-sees
Leipziger Neuseenland
Source: https://www.leipzigseen.de/die-seen/cospudener-see/die-entstehung-des-cospudener-sees
Leipziger Neuseenland
Source: https://www.leipzigseen.de/die-seen/cospudener-see/die-entstehung-des-cospudener-sees
Leipziger Neuseenland
Source: https://www.leipzigseen.de/die-seen/cospudener-see