Weser lifeline - Bremen | Interlace Hub

The Weser Lifeline ("Lebensader Weser") is a local government-led urban planning program in Bremen, Germany which aimed to restore the Weser river and its floodplain, and bring it closer to the population as a living river. The program took place between 2007 and 2013 to combat the heavy development of the river, including its long stretches of steep banks that are fortified with stone fills or sheet pile walls. Specific objectives included the restoration of parts of the river bank to the natural state and the creation of habitats for the typical local flora and fauna as well as to create a sandy beach for public use. Impacts include: increased biodiversity, river shore protection and water management as well as improved public access to recreational area close to the water and increased attractiveness of the river landscape. The Senate for the Environment, Building and Transport acts as a contracting authority, allocating the projects to the Bremen Dike Association - an NGO - or the "Planungsgruppe grün", which is an urban planning office.

Overview

Type of instrument:

Legislative, regulatory and strategic instruments›Urban planning mechanisms

Challenges addressed

Ecologic connectivity
Soil quality
Water management (e.g. reuse)
Green space management (e.g. accessibility)
Watershed restoration/water quality
Human health, comfort and well-being

Consideration of nature-based solutions:

The aim of the programme is to restore the formerly near-natural conditions in the currently largely built-up area along the banks of the Weser river and thereby to create habitats for the typical flora and fauna. Together with similar ongoing projects (Stadtwerder beach, sandy bank in the Weseruferpark Rablinghausen) and planned projects (Peterswerder / Pauliner Marsch below the Weser weir), the proportion of near-natural riverbank sections in the area of the municipality of Bremen aim to be increased.

Targeted (peri-)urban areas:

Blue areas

Green areas for water management

Good practice characteristics:

Effective

Support multifunctional NBS

Sustainable in the long-term

Locally appropriate

Governance

Government body/bodies

Initiating body:

Senate of Bremen for Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Urban Development and Housing

Instrument design:

Details about how the instrument was designed:

"Lebensader Weser" was commissioned by the water authority to an expert office (Bioconsult 2006) as a conception of potential measures against the background of necessary improvements to water bodies in the sense of the WFD. It was supplemented by measures of the nature conservation authority (Natura 2000 management plan for the Weser) and introduced by the water and nature conservation authorities into the ERDF programme of the State of Bremen (lead department for economic affairs) 2007-2013, namely as funding area 2.3 "Profiling the cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven", funding objective "Developing and tapping the natural potential of the Weser".

Involvement of non-governmental actors:

Private sector, corporate, business

Citizens or community groups / NGOs

Type of actor involvement:

Co-planning or co-design of instrument (e.g. boards, advisory role)

Instrument implementation:

Type of involvement:

In the funding period, a total of 11 projects were approved after being brought to the attention of the deputation responsible for the environment. The construction and the building works were conducted by the Bremische Deichverband (Bremen Dike Association (NGO)) and the "Plannungsgruppe Grün", which is as an office for open space and environmental planning for authorities and companies nationwide on behalf of the Senator for Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Urban Development and Housing. The Senate acts as a state authority: Involved in the preparation and, as an "intermediate body", also in the monitoring of the ERDF programme, approval authority and responsible body for public concerns in the renaturation projects in Rablinghausen, Habenhausen, Bremerhaven, etc. In addition, the Senate, as a municipal authority, is the project executing agency for the path in Werderland and Park am Weserwehr, the project executing agency in Habenhausen (and grant recipient) was bremenports, and in Rablinghausen the dyke association links der Weser.

Type of non-governmental actors involved:

Implementation of NBS (e.g. with government funds)

Targeted actors:

Private: household, real estate developer, business , financial

Citizens or community groups (CBOs), NGOs

Financing

EU funds

Budget:

5 000 000€ - 10 000 000€

Details about instrument financing:

The renaturation measures cost around €5,720,000. Half of the programme is financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the other half by the wastewater levy (AbwAG), in which Bremen households pay for the operation of the sewage network and the revenues are earmarked for the measures that serve to maintain or improve water quality. Furthermore, the programme is financed by the water abstraction charge, revenue from the water abstraction charge (BremWEGG) to finance specific measures that serve to protect and safeguard environmental resources and the public drinking water supply. The water abstraction charge refers to the charge levied for the abstraction of groundwater and surface water. The regulations for this can be found in the law on the levying of a water abstraction charge.

Monitoring, evaluation and impacts

Is a monitoring framework in place?:

Yes

The further development of the implemented renaturation measures is monitored within the framework of general environmental monitoring as well as separate biological success controls by the nature conservation and water authorities.

Achieved outcomes and impacts:

In the funding period, a total of 11 projects were approved after being brought to the attention of the deputation responsible for the environment. The majority of the projects are construction projects; two projects are river management plans. For example, the banks of large areas of the Weser river have been renaturalised and shallow, near-natural sandy banks, shallow sand islands, and flood channels have been created. The instrument has also resulted in the construction of a cycling and hiking path on the eastern edge of the Werderland, creating a circular route around the Werderland nature reserve. Large dune-like embankments have also been created in front of the new dyke and the sheet pile wall there, which are to develop naturally after initial planting. In June 2013, the new 2 ha park directly on the Weser at the Weser weir was inaugurated with a small celebration. In the summer of 2013, the shore areas of the sailing harbour were redesigned close to nature and made accessible to the public. One year after completion in the area of the flood channels between the sand islands at Lake Hemelingen, an endangered fish species - the brook loach - was observed after being previously unknown in this section of the river. Overall, the newly created or improved opportunities for experiencing nature are popular for recreation seekers.

Success factors and lessons learned:

The Weser lifeline was an important component in demonstrating the environmental compatibility and sustainability of the Bremen ERDF programme, contribution to achieving the WFD objectives, multifunctional benefits also for nature conservation and local recreation, high level of identification of the population with the goal of creating accessible banks and sandy beaches for spending time on the water again (had been denied for decades or limited to the smallest sections of banks due to deepening of the Weser and port and bank extensions); funding secured through ERDF and water abstraction fee, experienced project management (e.g. bremenports, cooperation with dyke associations, good internal coordination (regular coordination meetings on the WFD). experienced project management (e.g. bremenports), cooperation with dyke associations, good coordination within the authorities (regular coordination meetings on the WFD), a lot of public relations work, see also federal project Koop-Stadt (reports, including exchange of experience with Leipzig and Nuremberg).

Sources and further information

References

List of references:

Renaturalization of the Weser river's coast. Una.city. Available at https://una.city/nbs/bremen/renaturalization-weser-rivers-coast (Accessed: 12.09.2022)

Förderprojekte „Lebensader Weser“ nach dem EFRE-Programm Bremen 2007 – 2013, Stand der Umsetzung und Planung. Bremen: Senator for Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Urban Development and Housing.

Renaturierung Weserufer: Bremischer Deichverband am linken Weserufer. Deichverband-bremen-alw.de. Available at: https://deichverband-bremen-alw.de/projekte/abgeschlossene-projekte/renaturierung-weserufer.html (Accessed: 12.09.2022)

Interview(s):

Bremen Senate for Climate Protection, Environment, Mobility, Urban Development and Housing

Photos

@Vollmer