Urbanrural linkages important for sustainable development Wolfram Gthler

Urban-rural linkages important for sustainable development? Wolfram Güthler, CEO, German Association for Landcare Brussels 1/23/2009

Bridging the gap between man and nature 2 • The German Association for Landcare (DVL): umbrella organisation of 145 regional Landcare Associations (LCA's) in Germany • LCA: societies, founded by landusers, environmentalists and local politicians; acknowledged as non-profit organisation serving the public interest Sorry: my report is focused on Germany and our experiences Bilder

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Urban sprawl 6 • More than 100 ha of land consumption / day in Germany • EFRE has pushed this development • Reduction of land consumption needs a complex strategy (change in tax system and peoples attitudes, other funding, spatial planning) • Compensation measures can be usefull for rural-urban linkages

New rural areas in cities • Depopulation of cities in eastern Germany • Former socialist apartment blocks have been brocken away • restoration of species rich meadows in Chemnitz (Saxony) by using hay from neighbouring rural areas

Let´s bring urban and rural together 8 Rural people in the City: Marketing of regional products Urban people in the „outback“: Celebration for mountain meadows in the Saxonian „Erzgebirge“

Regional initiatives in Germany

European Funding – example LEADER Success storry (bottum-up approach, …) • Max. 150. 000 inhabitants possible (but exceptions) • to have less than 150. 000 inhabitants in a LEADER-process, towns are often excluded • Result: urban-rural linkages are cut

(Not only) a matter of education 12 • Do urban citizen know a frog, or where the milk comes from etc. ? • Do they have a feeling for that? • Sustainability needs education (not only for children) Foto: v. Elsen

(Not only) a matter of education 13 Foto: v. Elsen

European Funding – example biodiversity River Lech in Bavaria • Central biotope network • City of Augsburg • Rural-urban linkages and Funding • EFRD – Axis 3: only in rural areas • EFRD: Natura 2000 only if it contributes to economic development and / or diversification of rural areas Augsburg

European Funding – example WFD River Ocker in Lower Saxony • Weir plant in the little river Ocker in the city of Braunschweig • Serious problem for the implementation of the WDR and the Natura 2000 areas upside the river in rural areas • No EU-Funding

Final remark 17 Europe has a lot to do Foto: v. Elsen