Credit: MECDD

On Thursday 18 August 2022, Luxembourg's Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development presented the Nature Pact measures and the second edition of the practical guide "Green spaces close to the natural state in urban areas".

The Ministry recalled that the current heat wave has highlighted the importance of green spaces – and especially the preservation and planting of trees – in urban areas.

Protecting nature in municipalities through concrete projects

The disappearance of animal and plant species and their habitats is also evident in villages and towns. The Nature Pact is an instrument of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development aimed at advancing the protection of nature and species in Luxembourg in collaboration with the municipalities. The objective is to promote the protection of nature in the municipalities through a reward system for those who are already active in this field and which consists in encouraging them to commit themselves more to the safeguarding of biodiversity and natural resources.

Now, more than 80% (84 out of 102) of Luxembourg municipalities have signed the Nature Pact and promote the maintenance of open landscapes, forests, waterways and habitat areas rich in species and adapted to the climate.

In order to promote biodiversity in urban areas, the catalog of Nature Pact measures contains nearly 20 measures concerning this specific area for the implementation of which municipalities receive points. Among these are:

  • planting and maintaining trees and hedges,
  • the installation of nesting boxes for birds, bats, wild bees and other animals,
  • the decisions taken in favor of municipal buildings and nature-friendly PAPs, and
  • less sealed walking and parking surfaces.

For the implementation of the Nature Pact, an adviser is available to each municipality. Emphasis is currently placed on the systematic analysis of the situation and the evaluation of the measures implemented by the municipalities within the framework of the Nature Pact. Municipalities can request an audit in order to validate the quality of the implementation by a neutral auditor. The first audits are scheduled for mid-October 2022. The management of the Nature Pact as well as its development are done with the help of the climate agency "Klima-Agence", the national energy advisory structure and climate.

Support for implementation − Practical guide: "Natural green spaces close to the natural state in urban areas"

The development and maintenance close to nature of public green spaces are also encouraged within the framework of the Nature Pact, given that they are of great importance for biodiversity in urban areas. Municipalities and their gardeners have a role to play here. Many possibilities are available to them: arrange flower meadows, beds of wild plants or decorative shrubs, plant natural hedges or simply let spontaneous vegetation grow.

Ecological design of public spaces is an opportunity to create additional food sources and habitat for insects, such as wild bees and butterflies. The Sicona nature conservation association, like the other biological stations, advises municipalities on the development of green spaces close to the natural state and rich in species in public spaces. To help with the implementation, Sicona has developed a practical guide with funding from the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development and in collaboration with many partners: Naturpark Öewersauer, Natur- & Geopark Mëllerdall, Naturpark Our, the Ouni Pestiziden campaign, SIAS biological station, National Museum of Natural History, Administration of Nature and Forests, Emweltberodung Lëtzebuerg and the “Natur elo” campaign. The second edition of the guide is available online via: http://sicona.lu/wp/wp-content/uploads/Praxisratgeber_Natunahe-Gruenanlagen_2022.pdf.

This guide contains practical advice for promoting biodiversity in an urban environment and is intended above all for the technical services of municipalities, but also for individuals. It contains practical instructions for the development and maintenance of green spaces close to the natural state as well as useful contact details and provides information on the sources of supply of suitable plants, substrate and seeds of wild plants. native. Numerous photos and lists of species give ideas for the development of design concepts close to nature. In this way, people can together give nature back its place in towns and villages where human beings, animals and plants live together easily and with mutual respect.