Berlin relies on nature: Three major renaturation projects are starting!

Berlin relies on nature: Three major renaturation projects are starting!

In Berlin the pressure for more nature conservation and renaturation is growing. A current NABU survey shows that nine out of ten Berliners are in favor of increased efforts in these areas. Accordingly, 89 percent of those surveyed consider measures to preserve or restore nature in the long term to be important. The increasing drought and periods of drought illustrate the urgency of these issues in the capital. According to entwicklungsstadt.de, clean drinking water, preservation of biodiversity and climate protection through moors and forests are the central motivations for the required changes.

In the future, the EU will also create a binding framework to combat the loss of habitats. A law to restore nature was passed, which could, among other things, co-finance the “Blue Pearls for Berlin” renaturation project. Specific renaturation projects have already started in Berlin that serve various ecological objectives.

Current renaturation projects in Berlin

One of the outstanding projects is the renaturation of the Panke. Over a length of 17.6 kilometers, the city river is to be returned to its natural course, which will improve the habitats for various species and increase the quality of stay. Barriers in the water should be removed to ensure passage for fish. The project start is planned for the end of 2025.

Another important project concerns the sunken lake in Rahnsdorf. Here, a former moor area is being transformed into a species-rich wetland habitat in order to counteract decades of damage caused by groundwater lowering and drying out. Measures to re-wett the area are planned from spring 2025 and will be financed through nature conservation replacement funds from the Senate Administration.

In addition, the “Blue Pearls for Berlin” program includes the ecological upgrades of around 30 ponds, pools and ditches in Berlin. The aim is to revitalize the polluted urban waters, which have to serve as living spaces and local recreation areas. Pilot projects in this program are the Schleipfuhl/Feldweiher water complex in Marzahn-Hellersdorf and the Lankegrabenteich in Steglitz-Zehlendorf.

EU initiatives and challenges

The role of the EU in nature conservation should not be underestimated. It has established measures to preserve biodiversity in Germany, including the EU bird protection and fauna-flora-habitat guidelines, which are considered minimum standards for nature and species protection. However, the Natura 2000 network, which includes over 27,000 protected areas in the EU, has gaps in its implementation. NABU is actively committed to better financing of EU nature conservation law and the reform of agricultural policy in order to reduce harmful subsidies. NABU reports that the majority of species and habitats in Germany are in poor condition.

The legal instruments for the cross-border protection of species and habitats already exist, but there is a lack of financial resources for consistent implementation. These difficulties have been raised by MEPs who are hoping for a conservation-friendly course in the next EU budget.

Overall, Berlin's renaturation projects stand in a larger context of political initiatives and the global effort to protect and restore nature. Berlin could thus become a role model for other cities in Germany and the EU.