MaGIC Landscapes – Green Infrastructure in the nature park Dübener Heide

By project GIFT

Published on 30 January 2025

Germany

Leipzig

About this good practice

The Dübener Heide Nature Park is a large wood- and heathland area with unique flora and fauna. As a region without environmental protection status, it faces demographic changes and migration processes. There is also a lack of awareness, identification, and access to green infrastructure. Climate change presents further challenges, including increased drought, declining water levels in bogs, natural disasters, and heavy rainfall. While the park boasts a well-preserved and diverse green infrastructure, it is crucial to protect, expand, and secure it for future generations.
Through the evaluation of public benefits and consultations with local stakeholders, five key themes were identified for the strategy and action plan. First, engaging and informing residents about the benefits of GI and connecting people with nature. Second, enhancing the perception, value, and communication of GI in the region, addressed through a Communication Concept. A third theme focuses on improving access to and connectivity with existing GI. Other key areas include education for sustainable development and expanding GI elements. Finally, adapting to climate change is a major theme. Special attention is given to the cities and settlements in the Dübener Heide and their connections to surrounding core green infrastructure areas.
The implementation of the strategy and action plan is led by the nature park administration, in cooperation with the LEADER management offices of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt.

Expert opinion

Green infrastructure supports biodiversity, pollinators, carbon sequestration, flood protection and protection against excessive heat. Green infrastructure is an important element in fulfilling EU legislation, especially in the areas of biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation, especially the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2030 and the Climate Adaptation Strategy. This good practice shows an excellent approach of using a three-step process to analyze green infrastructure (GI) needs and an importance of public consultations in the process of developing an implementing a strategy. The MaGICLandscapes project has left a lasting impact by providing transferable tools and strategies that can be applied beyond the project's study areas. The project's outputs, including green infrastructure handbooks and action plans, are available for download and serve as resources for future environmental planning and conservation efforts. These resources can be of great use of other regions in Europe.

Magda Michaliková

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

The implementation costs for a 5 year period was calculated with 3.9 million in 2021, including 500k for 1.5 project management positions with field expertise, 3 million for the installation of green infrastructure projects (parks, gardens etc.), 100k for communication and 200k for education.

Evidence of success

The Magical Landscapes Project was incorporated into the "Naturpark Pflege- und Entwicklungskonzept Dübener Heide 2030" (Maintenance and Development Concept 2030), the Saxon biodiversity concept 2030 (Programm Sachsens Biologische Vielfalt 2030 – Einfach machen!), and the district development concept (Kreisentwicklungskonzept) of Northern Saxony. It serves as a model of good practice for both European partnerships and regional implementation.

Potential for learning or transfer

The main lessons from the Dübener Heide project lie in three key areas: cooperation with local communities, the social media strategy, and a complex, cartography- based methodology.
Founded by locals to prevent coal mining, the Dübener Heide has strong community ties and a deep connection between people and nature. This model of fostering local ownership and bridging the divide between humans and the environment can be applied elsewhere. The social media strategy, targeting both locals and tourists, serves as a valuable example for other regions.
The project also used a three-step process to analyze green infrastructure (GI) needs. It began with a transnational cartographic survey, leading to detailed maps of the region. These maps helped assess connectivity and identify core areas. Local stakeholders met regularly to pinpoint opportunities and needs for public benefit. This complex methodology could be adapted to other regions, with potential adjustments based on local needs.