Since 1984, the Hunting Federation of Ille-et-Vilaine Department has been rehabilitating a 550-hectare marshland that was heavily developed in the last century. Rehabilitation began with the replacement of corn crops by hay and pasture natural meadows via contractual agreement (with finacing) with the farmers. It continued with the restoration of a peat bog and a reed bed. In addition, due to the highly developed nature of the marsh and its...
This project, restoration and conservation of riparian forests, ended in 2012 with the recovery of a long-term conservation of habitats and species in protected area "Reka Maritsa". It was carried out by the local authority of Dimitrovgrad municipality.
The Babina polder (2.100 ha), in Romania, was reconnected to the Danube in 1994 and recovery has been monitored by the Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development. Within a few years a redevelopment of the site-specific biodiversity occurred and ecosystem services like nutrient retention and fish recruitment became obvious. Additionally, the reconnected polder enable reed harvesting, grazing, fishing and ecotourism.
LIFE Nature project "Transboundary conservation of the Phalacrocorax pygmaeus and Aythya nyroca in Romanian and Bulgarian key sites" in coordintion with WWF had the objective of ensuring living conditions for the two species by: reconstruction of nesting and feeding areas and implementing the best practices for fisheries management.
The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Authority (Romania) established a strategy for ecological restoration by a reintegration of the fish farm basins with the surrounding wetlands by opening the ring dikes around the basins. The positive effects are both ecological (wetland restoration, natural habitat and breeding area for fish and aquatic birds) and socio-economical (development of traditional activities, fishing, livestock and reed...
This example is one of many schemes being implemented through the national 'Room for the River' programme in the Netherlands. This particular measure involves setting back the dyke of the River Waal, and incorporating a new channel in to the expanded area of floodplain that can take additional flood flow from the Waal. The measures are also incorporated with a new area of urban development and will create an urban river park within...
The project's objective was to improve the conservation status of aquatic bird species in Lower Prut Floodplain Natural Park, Galati County, Romania, through a series of strategic interventions involving scientific inventory, monitoring activities, sites restoration, raising awareness activities, implementation of the park management plan and designating four Special Protected Area - Romanian Natura 2000 sites. Partners were the...
The Cherio River basin is located in the eastern part of Bergamo province, Lombardy region. It extends from the pre-alpine reliefs to the irrigated plain area, down to the confluence of Cherio River into Oglio River. The catchment area is about 153 km2, broken down mainly into forest (42%) and agricultural (39%) land. The territory is vulnerable to overflows and flooding events, which requires constant reclamation activities. Moreover, the...
Cover Crops and No-Tillage in an Olive Grove (Andalusia, Spain).
"La Conchuela" is commercial olive orchard (Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain) in which alternative soil management practices (no-tillage and green cover) to reduce soil erosion and runoff have been studied during 7 years. This case study shows how the use of a cover crop can be a simple, feasible soil and water conservation practice in olive groves on rolling lands in...
This Project combined several natural water retention measures: the restoration of meadows and pastures (A1), reduced tillage (A7), a reduced stocking density (A12), and the restoration of wetlands (N2). The project area was located in north-west Germany within the river basin district Weser (DE4000). As funded under the LIFE Program, it was directed at European policy contexts, namely the WFD, Habitats Directive, and Birds Directive. A wide...
The purpose of this project was the establishment of appropriate conditions for protection and conservation of animal and plant species and their habitats on Lake Cerknica, in Slovenia. It simultaneously sought to promote an even development of local agriculture, forestry, fishing, tourism, recreation and education in accordance with natural values. The project was funded by LIFE program and Notranjska Regional Park was responsible of the...
Groundwork London, in partnership with Hammersmith and Fulham Council, received LIFE+ funding for the Climate-Proofing Social Housing Landscapes project in 2013. The project, which came to an end in September 2016, has demonstrated an integrated approach to climate adaptation in urban areas by undertaking a package of affordable, light-engineering climate change adaptation measures based around the retrofitting of blue and green...
Executive Forest Agency (EFA) is the coordinating beneficiary and together with the international conservation organization WWF work on a project that protects and restores the 11 habitat types rivers and wetlands in the forests on an area of 21 thousand ha in 10 Bulgarian nature parks - Bulgarka , Vitosha, Vratsa Balkan, Golden Sands Park, Rila Monastery, Ruse Lom, Blue Rocks, Strandja, Shumen Plateau.
The project refers to water retention management in the broader area of Ancient Olympia, Elia, Peloponnese, Greece; that is afforestation of mountain areas. The measures include the temporary installation of structures utilizing locally available timber in order to increase water retention as well as targeted planting of forests in mountain areas that can help stabilize hill slopes, thereby reduce erosion and potentially leading to greater...
The short term project objectives were to create 250 ha of wetland by raising the water level of the embanked area with a regulating water outlet structure, creation of a variety of habitats -from dry land to spots with deep water- by digging and opening up of old river meanders that had been filled up.
The project is a good experience in the field of ecological restoration, involving purchase of land, participatory planning and co-...
The Alzette river (Luxembourg) restoration project aimed at erasing the effect of the river chanelling, which caused the river uniformisation and an ecological impoverishment. The project consisted in a remeandering, increase of the base level of the river, widening of the riverbed, reconnection of the river to existing ponds and creation of a new pond.
The application was funded by LIFE and other national funds and The State Nature Conservancy of the Slovak Republic as responsible with others NGOs with the objective of restoring favourable conservation status of breeding and migrating birds from Birds Directive and Habitats Directive in the Senne and Medzibodrozie SPAs through improving habitats in key locations.
The project was implemented in 2009 by the Russenski Lom Nature Park Directorate, Club „Friends of Russenski Lom” and WWF with the support of the Ministry of Culture and was funded by WWF and the German Federal Ecological Foundation DBU. By the application of the principle “more space for the river – more safety for people” aimed to open the dykes and reduce the floods on the roads and the possibility for the water to return into the river...
Hermance is a French/swiss transboundary river. From 2006, in the frame of a transboundary river management program, the SYMASOL has been implementing restoration measures along river in order to decrease flood risk downstream, supported amongst other by Geneva Canton. The river mouth have been widenned, the river has been remeandered, 2,3km of the river have been renaturated and vegetation have been planted back on banks. The Mermes...
The measure was implemented in Matsalu National Park, Estonia, a former coastal meadow site (Natura 2000 and Ramsar site) next to a big Salmi coastal meadow with many priority species. The old non-functioning small ditches were closed and scraped to restore the wetland hydrology and breeding and feeding grounds for waders and amphibians. Before the restoration works the area was used mainly for bovine grazing and the restoration did not...
The Project 'Slowing the Flow at Pickering' implements multiple natural flood risk measures including low level bunds, large woody debris dams, planting riparian and floodplain woodland, planting farm woodland, blocking moorland drains and establishing no-burn buffer zones, blocking forest drains and implementing farm-scale measures. The aim of the project is to show how land management measures can help to reduce flood risk from a...
Next to the Ill river in Alsace, France, a project has been initiated which combines classical flood protection (e.g. dyke construction) with natural water retention measures (e.g. riparian buffers). The project aims at reducing peak flows, increasing water storage, controling erosion and improving biodiversity. It has been initiated by the Alsace Region.
The case study is located in the north central Poland, in Kuyavian-Pomeranian province. The catchment area is about 150 km2. Due to highly fertile soils, arable land prevails (nearly 90%) in the catchment. The main crops are cereals, maize, oilseed rape, sugar beet, alfalfa, vegetables and herbal crops. An area covered by catch crops is increasing. Share of irrigated crops is small. The catchment is coping with an increasing water deficit for...
The case study area “Petite Glâne” belongs to the Broye catchment in the southwestern part of the Swiss Plateau. The river Petite Glâne is about 30 km long, repeatedly crosses borders between the cantons of Vaud and Fribourg, and has a catchment area of 94 km2. Its upper reaches have remained fairly natural and are lined with forest, whereas its lower reaches in the Broye plain have been canalized and straightened. The soils and climate here...