Staré Křečany and Růžová.
The region is situated in the northwestern part of the Czech Republic, characterised by mostly rural settlements with modest rural housing. Outside the villages, the hinterland has large areas of forests, agricultural areas, and permanent grasslands. This area holds significant importance for nature and landscape preservation, as it surrounds protected landscape areas such as Labské Pískovce and Lužické hory mountains, along with the Bohemian Switzerland National Park. Despite its relatively low population density, the region has a lot of potential for tourism, due to its natural beauty.
Challenges facing the region.
Both the frontrunning regions (National Park Bohemian Switzerland and Krásná Lípa) and the replicating regions (Staré Křečany, Růžová) have been affected by extreme weather changes in recent years. They've faced dry summers and heavy rainfall, alternating between the two. This combination of conditions has led to a decline in groundwater reserves, which is crucial for communities relying on well water. Simultaneously, the regular patterns of high river flows, usually abundant in winter, are changing. This change results in localised floods that accumulate and lead to flooding in the broader area. The location in a protected area is also a major challenge for the regions. Much of the landscape is subject to nature conservation regulations, making it difficult to implement certain projects.
Replicating Region's role in LAND4CLIMATE.
In the context of LAND4CLIMATE, replicating regions play a crucial role as observers and learners, focusing on knowledge and experience exchange with their relative frontrunning region. This approach aims to replicate the success of these measures in a practical experiment, assessing their adaptability in a different regional context. The emphasis is on knowledge transfer and skill development through collaborative efforts with the partner region. To facilitate this knowledge exchange, replicating regions participate in training programs related to the NBS efforts of LAND4CLIMATE. In essence, the replicating regions serve as active participants in the scaling-up process, contributing to the broader goal of extending the reach and effectiveness of NBS initiatives. By fostering collaboration and learning from frontrunning regions, they enhance their capacity to address climate challenges and contribute to a sustainable and resilient future.
Staré Křečany’s and Růžová’s connection to the National Park Bohemian Switzerland and Krásná Lípa.
Both municipalities, Staré Křečany and Růžová, share borders with the Bohemian Switzerland National Park, creating a part of a larger ecosystem. Notably, the mayors of both municipalities are members of an association that facilitates coordination among municipalities to coordinate their activities in the region. The replication region Staré Křečany is also a neighbouring municipality of the frontrunner region the municipality of Krásná Lípa. These two municipalities not only share the same hydrological conditions but also face cross-border issues related to natural water retention. Krásná Lípa can be consider as the pioneer municipality in terms of pond restoration and other landscape measures and it has skilled staff and resources for the implementation of further measures. As such the municipality can share experiences with neighbouring municipalities. Růžová, the other replicating region, is a municipality historically impacted by flash flooding. The municipal priority is reducing natural hazards, and various proposed and implemented measures aim to address this concern.
