IOER Forum

The Federal Nature Conservation Act was introduced in Germany 50 years ago. This was accompanied by a broader, holistic understanding of nature conservation. Value was now placed not only on wild landscapes, but also on cultural landscapes, right through to the transition between urban and rural areas. A key element of the Act was the ‘compensation for impact’ scheme. Unavoidable damage in one area must be offset by equivalent improvements elsewhere.

In the years following its introduction, the Act was also implemented in the new federal states, and new requirements were introduced through European protected area measures (e.g. the Habitats Directive). Today, new challenges are emerging once again as a result of the Europe-wide restoration of nature and ecosystems. 

All these efforts are certainly yielding results. Nevertheless, the loss of species, biodiversity and habitats has still not been halted. The IOER Forum’s autumn series will examine, from various perspectives, the achievements, shortcomings and challenges associated with the Federal Nature Conservation Act. 

The series begins on 10 September with a lecture by Prof. Dr Marianne Darbi from Hochschule Geisenheim University. She will speak about compensation areas for transport infrastructure projects in the context of climate and landscape change.

On 9 October, Prof. Dr Jürgen Breuste, Senior Professor at the University of Hildesheim, will take the floor. He draws on his many years of experience as an urban ecologist and as chair of the international Society for Urban Ecology (SURE).

The link between road construction and orchard meadows will be the subject of the event on 11 November. The guest speaker will be Ralf Kiontke from Autobahn GmbH.

Further Events are in preparation.