Educational Excursion to Lusatia: Learning from Nature-Based Water Management

At the end of May 2025, as part of LAND4CLIMATE, a two-day educational excursion to Upper and Lower Lusatia (Germany) was organized for 30 participants from Krásná Lípa, including municipal staff, agricultural entrepreneurs, and university researchers. The trip, guided by water management expert Jörg Schlenstedt, provided valuable insights into practical nature-based solutions to climate challenges, particularly related to water retention and landscape revitalization.

Highlights included the revitalized 19th-century fishpond system in Kreba-Neudorf, where sustainable aquaculture coexists with biodiversity conservation in a UNESCO biosphere reserve. Participants also explored the Bärwalder See – a former lignite mine transformed into a lake through a natural refilling process using groundwater and diverted rivers. This site now functions as a flood protection reservoir and ecological habitat, showcasing how post-mining landscapes can be reimagined to support water storage, agriculture, and biodiversity.

In Spreewald, a historic canal network illustrates traditional and modern methods of water flow regulation. Originally built to manage seasonal flooding and dry spells, it now serves both ecological and tourism functions while adapting to declining groundwater levels post-mining.

The excursion deepened understanding of how regions can turn environmental burdens into assets through nature-based solutions that improve climate resilience. The experience will directly support similar revitalization efforts in Krásná Lípa, particularly the upcoming restoration of the stream below Cimrák pond.

This article was written by LAND4CLIMATE consortium partner The Town of Krásná Lípa.