Mining and Biodiversity in Saxony

Due to the ongoing loss of biodiversity, new biodiversity targets have been negotiated and adopted globally. To achieve the targets, opportunities for land use changes, such as in the course of the coal phase-out, must be seized. For a long time, lignite mining was an important economic factor in Saxony, but with a direct impact on the environment and its biodiversity. The coal phase-out offers opportunities to integrate biodiversity into the planning of post-mining landscapes and their future use. The aim of the project is to communicate knowledge on the topic of biodiversity in mining and structural change regions. Various event formats are used to promote the exchange between science, civil society, political decision-makers, companies and those affected as well as interested parties. Future prospects for biodiversity in the course of renaturation, post-mining landscape use and economic development in the region are discussed. Although the content is specific to the region, it allows for generally applicable findings and implications and thus serves as a sustainable transfer of knowledge and inspiration for other coal phase-out and structural change regions. The exchange of knowledge is intended to sensitize participants to the topic of biodiversity. The project therefore makes a significant contribution to education for sustainable development.

Leadership/ Editing: Vera Braun

Duration: 1 Januar 2023 – 31 Dezember 2024

Funding: Saxon State Ministry for Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture (SMEKUL)

Events

The scientific panel as part of the ACC Forum "Mining and Biodiversity: Prospects for a Sustainable Extraction of Raw Materials"

Date & Time: 19 October 2023, 2 PM to 4 PM

Location: Marienthal Monastery, Marienthal 1, 02899 Ostritz

Language: English

Presentations:

• „Vegetation engineering techniques for increasing biodiversity during and after mining” (Prof. Arne Cierjacks, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden / University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Dresden)
• “Computational assessment of slope failure risk” (Dr. Lukáš Zedek, Technische Universität Liberec / Technical University of Liberec)
• “Biodiversity reporting in the coal mining industry” (Sarah Bärsch, Technische Universität Dresden / Dresden University of Technology)
• “The role of women in coal mining regions” (Franziska Stölzel, United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES))

Presentations and panel discussion “Lignite mining in transition – opportunities for the region or risks for people and biodiversity? A regional insight with international classification”

Date & time: January 11, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Location: Hall of the Christian Weise Library, Neustadt 47, 02763 Zittau

Languages: German & English live translation

Presentations:

• "Kurze Darstellung der Geschichte des Braunkohlenbergbaus im Verlauf der Neiße" (Joachim Neumann & Doris Krüger, Verein Oberlausitzer Bergleute)
• "Herausforderungen und Chancen des Tagebaus für die Biodiversität“ (Prof. Arne Cierjacks, Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Dresden / University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Dresden)
• "Transformation in ehemaligen Tagebauregionen –Ein internationaler Überblick“ (Franziska Stölzel, United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES))
• "Clustering - can 3 nations act as one region?” (Agnieszka Spirydowicz, ZKlaster Zgorzelec-Cluster für die Entwicklung erneuerbarer Energiequellen und Energieeffizienz / Zgorzelec Cluster for the Development of Renewable Energy Sources and Energy Efficiency)

Invitation to the event “Mining and post-mining landscape at Lake Berzdorf. Learning from the past to shape the future.”

Date & time: October 15, 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Location: Lake Berzdorf

Languages: German & English live translation

Program:

• 2:00 to 3:00 pm Guided tour and museum tour of the technical monument excavator 1452 by the Verein bergbaulicher Zeitzeugen Berzdorf-Oberlausitz e.V.

• 3:00 to 5:30 pm Visit to the exhibition on the history of mining in the Haus am See Tauchritz and themed tour on the subject of recultivation along the Berzdorfer See by the Verein Oberlausitzer Bergleute e.V.