naturschutzbund österreich

HOME to GREEN BELT	Grünes Band - Green Belt General information and need-to-know
NATURSCHUTZBUND Österreich - we work for the GREEN BELT!	The Green Belt - the valuable habitats that have been developed and preserved in the shadow of the Iron Curtain - is today Europe's largest network of biotopes. The inhuman border helped nature to take a breather for nearly 40 years. Therefore the area became a hideaway for many rare animal and plant species. Austria shares nearly 1.300 km with neighbouring countries in this international project: valuable natural assets from the Bohemian Forest to Lake Neusiedl, from the March-Thaya meadows to the Dobratsch mountain range. The number of rare and endangered animal and plant species is huge. The importance of this area for nature conservation and the network of biotopes is unique. The Austrian league for nature conservation (NATURSCHUTZBUND) works on the implementation of the project and conservation of the GREEN BELT. Besides organizing and supervising projects on conservation of species and biotopes, the Austrian league for nature conservation concentrates on informing the public about the importance of the GREEN BELT as a hideaway and nature oasis: through public relations, print work, information desks and a week-long press-journey along the GREEN BELT in cooperation with neighbouring countries. Furthermore, fostering international contacts, organizing information networks and coordinating all Austrian actions concerning the GREEN BELT are focus of the league's efforts. IUCN: Programme of work (Download)	Enlarge image by clicking on the map
	Why is the GREEN BELT that important? The GREEN BELT is an irreplaceable and in its dimension a unique network of biotopes in our cultural landscape. Its particular value is its status as an interweaved and integral working ecosystem of very different habitats. Splitting of habitats is one of the main causes for extinction and loss of biological diversity. Therefore, the reduction and isolation of intact natural regions have to be counteracted. As "ecological backbone" the GREEN BELT is the ideal starting-point to (re-)union natural habitats.	At the GREEN BELT: The Thaya-meadows
	The GREEN BELT of EUROPE - An ambitious plan The GREEN BELT is a living monument for European history, a memorial against oblivion and at the same time a chance for the future. Many valuable areas are situated on both sides of the border. Hence cross-border cooperation is particularly important. The implementation of common goals in natural conservation becomes more and more important; especially, considering the EU expansion in May 2004, as a contribution to overcome Europe's historical separation. Everything started in 1989. Dedicated conservationists of the former FRG and GDR vehemently made every effort to protect the hideaway along the border in a sustainable way. Today the GREEN BELT is under protection in Germany, it is 1 393 km long and encompasses an area of approximately 177 sq kms. 150 protected areas are situated in or around the GREEN BELT (28 % of the total area). Due to the high media attention and wide acceptance in the public many communities, provincial and federal governments took the patronage of the idea of the GREEN BELT. After this success, the precious habitat along the Iron Curtain should be protected and preserved in the whole of Europe. A chain of oases, already and not yet existing, current and planned national parks as well as new nature parks should be created, thus representing a belt which protects nature and connects Europe from Murmansk at the Arctic Sea to Burgas at the Black Sea. The GREEN BELT EUROPE is under the patronage of Michail Gorbatschow, former president of the Soviet Union. This emphasises how important the EUROPEAN GREEN BELT is for nature conservation as a symbol for the reunion of West and East.	Michail Gorbatschow is the patron of the GREEN BELT
	The biotope GREEN BELT In the GREEN BELT unique biotopes, oases of biodiversity, which offer a hideaway for synanthropes like Whinchats and Black Storks in our often negatively changed cultural landscape, are stringed together like on a pearl necklace. A mosaic of the most different habitats has been generated step by step. Just along the German GREEN BELT biologists have counted more than 109 different types of biotopes. The GREEN BELT also acts as a corridor for wild animals. Such a "green" bridge enables mammals like lynx, bear, elk and wolf to migrate across borders and, hence supporting their spreading out, into new habitats. Such corridors are important, because a population can only survive beyond a critical number of individuals. Projects like the one by the "önj Haslach", which aims at making the lynx return to the Mühlviertel, demonstrate this in an impressive way. Last but not least the GREEN BELT is a wind and erosion inhibitor. Elsewhere an enormous amount of money is invested in the replanting of hedges on farmland, which is prone to erosion. In contrast, the GREEN BELT acts as a natural stabiliser. Thus, the GREEN BELT combats soil loss caused by wind and water and provides balanced temperatures and humidity in its surrounding.
top	Sparing nature The GREEN BELT is Europe's vision of the largest and longest biotope system of the world. A chain of biotopes forms the GREEN BELT along the borders towards the former Eastern Bloc. It stretches along 6 800 km through Europe, from the North Cape at the Barents to the Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea respectively. Freedom of human-beings to move was restricted for 40 years. At the same time, the nature has been spared and was able to take a breather. The former Iron Curtain should become Europe's GREEN BELT now, a line of life, connecting East and West. The existence of the GREEN BELT has been endangered both by traffic routes and intensive agricultural use from its beginning. Therefore, the IUCN, the World Conservation Union, has initiated a pan-European campaign involving all countries along the former Iron Curtain in the year 2004. The efforts of the IUCN were based on long lasting preparatory work done by the Union for Environment and Natural Conservation in Germany. The IUCN's engagement also enabled the participation of Michail Gorbatschow, former president of the Soviet Union, who took on the patronage of this important matter. Since 2002 the Austrian league for nature conservation is working on the implementation and conservation of the 1 300 km long GREEN BELT in Austria on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management. A brilliant idea Shortly after the opening of the borders in 1989 the BUND (the Bavarian Branch of Friends of the Earth), the Federal Environment Ministry and Euronatur, as the first nature conservation organisations, took care of the area at the former inner border between Western and Eastern Germany. The GREEN BELT Germany is meanwhile a model with exemplary function with a length of 1 393 km and an area of 177 sq km. Biotopes and hideaways with an extraordinary diversity could emerge on the 50-200 m wide belt. The value of the region attracted attention of conservationists in vicinity the Upper Franconian town of Coburg long before the political situation changed: In the mid 1970s the student Kai Frobel discovered that more than 90 % of all whinchats lived directly in the border installations. This was the beginning of a visionary project. The image of a whinchat as it courtships on the border installations became a symbol for the GREEN BELT and the area of unspoiled nature nearby. Today Kai Frobel is a geoecologist and director of the GREEN BELT project in the BUND in Germany. It is his own and his team's credit that 85 % of the German GREEN BELT has not been split by roads, agricultural lands or by selling plots of land. The European dimension of the GREEN BELT-projects has its roots in the 10-year-conference of the German Federal Environment Ministry in Bonn 2003 and in the first workshop with conservationists experts of 17 countries in the Fertö-Hanság National Park in Hungary. Biotope system: a backbone across Europe It is not that within the EURPEAN GREEN BELT one protected area follows the other. This is not realistic and may remain a pipe dream. There are focus-areas with a different status of conservation, affiliated each another by natural pathways. Hence, it is particularly important to preserve these connecting areas. The GREEN BELT is divided into three sections: Large old forest stands are conserved in the northern Fennoscandian section. A long lasting Finnish-Norwegian-Russian cooperation preserves the quintessence of natural heritage for the ensuing ages. The coast regions are also valuable habitats, especially for migratory birds. The Fennoscandian belt is a 1 000 km long stripe and located at the Finnish-Norwegian-Russian border. It shelters some of the last old boreal forests which are densely timbered coniferous forests of the Taiga and forest tundra, which are only located in the northern hemisphere. The forests have remained in quite a natural state due to the Cold War and the low economic activity. Since the end of the "sparing-nature-period", parts of the forests are used commercially. More than half of this unique landscape is endangered, although a few protected areas could be established. The western edge of the Eurasian Taiga possesses some extraordinary treasures: brown bear, wolf, ringed seal, salmon and taiga-reindeer. They are all endangered species, testifying about the amazing biotope. Thousands of migratory birds use the western edge of the Eurasian Taiga as well. Fortunately Finland, Norway and Russia have established a trilateral cooperation that preserves the northern parts. Until the year 2015 a national park will be established southward. This section is one of the positive examples of the GREEN BELT projects. In Central Europe the GREEN BELT traverses predominantly cultural landscapes and connects centre zones: the Elbe region, the Harz, the Bavarian and the Bohemian forest, and the cross-bordering national parks Thaya valley/Podyji and Lake Neusiedl/Fertö-Hanság. About half of the regions that are important for cross bordering natural conservation are located in south-eastern Europe. A couple of projects have already been implemented, especially projects with the goal to preserve water courses like the Drau-Mur-system, Lake Scutari, the delta of the Bojana river, Lake Prespa and Lake Ohrid. Since November 2005 it is official: Albania protects the landscape from Lake Skutari with the delta of the Bojana river to the coast of the Adriatic Sea, in total 500 sq km (nearly the size of Lake Constance). Hence one of the most beautiful natural landscapes remains conserved like Noah's ark. On the Montenegrin side on the border region of Albania and Montenegro, 400 sq km are already protected in the national park Lake Scutari. The World Bank is going to invest 5 Mio US-Dollars in protective measures. A Master plan for boosting the tourism includes the marketing for rural products as well. This success is due to Euronatur. The organisation has been lobbying projects and sustainable development in the Balkans for years. Ambitious vision of international relevance The longest and largest union of ecological systems in the world should smooth its way through Europe as a symbol for nature conservation and sustainable development. Various regions of the GREEN BELT serve as a resting and breeding area for migratory birds or as a hideaway for migrating species like lynx. Furthermore, the GREEN BELT is an ideal project to implement international conservation agreements, such as the network of protected areas Natura 2000, the habitat directive, the directive on conservation of birds and the Bonner convention. Nature connects The belt will not cause a new dividing line. Human-beings should be integrated and school classes as well as hikers should be able to visit and enjoy the scenic regions, except for particularly sensitive biotopes like moors and alluvial forests. Many future chances are provided for an environmentally-friendly tourism, just based on the vision "brand GREEN BELT". The brand has still to be developed by creative marketing experts. Facts over and over again The IUCN is the coordinating centre which assures that the project is implemented and the countries are working together instead of labouring on their own. It lobbies at the European level. The GREEN BELT should become the ecological backbone of the European nature conservation. Therefore, the IUCN has built a work plan, which has been agreed by all participants. It includes goals, working methods, milestones and possible financial sources. National contact persons, who are also known as focal points, were nominated for each country to complement the work plan. At the beginning of the year 2005 an internet platform was installed as well as a regional office of the IUCN in Belgrade was established by the project coordinator Alois Lang. Main goal is to accumulate data in each country to build a joint geodatabase as a technical basis. As soon as it is verified how much of the GREEN BELT's area has been preserved, conservation projects can be requested at the EU. At this point the importance of the IUCN bears fruits since its lobbying-activities at the European level support countries like Albania and Serbia in nature conservation. In these countries conservation does not play an important role. The IUCN helps local nature conservation-organizations to improve their influence and to reduce resistance. The GREEN BELT Austria It runs 1 300 km from Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria to Carinthia. Besides the well-known national parks of the Bohemian Forest, the Thaya Valley and Lake Neusiedl, many little nature-treasures exist along the border. Species like the tadpole shrimp, which romps in the meadows of border rivers between Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia respectively, have already disappeared elsewhere. Only meadow-ponds, which have left over after floods, offer those Branchiopods some chances of survival. Their enemies, the fishes, do not have a chance at all to survive in these flat, again and again drying up puddles. The meadows at the Luznice river are the best example for the interplay between flood and drought. Elsewhere the rivers are interrupted by powerstations and regulated, which means that meadows lost their natural flood zones and are changed by intensive agriculture. The riverside area along the Iron Curtain has been spared. Numerous White and Black Storks along the March and Thaya rivers know this as well. In such meadows they find enough feed for their youngs, because agricultural activities have been inhibited in the East. The conurbation Wien-Bratislava, the so-called Twincity, challenges the regional development planning in this region. A coordination of interest between economy, ecology, traffic and quality of life has to be established. The Mur river and its meadows at the border between Styria and Slovenia, is a gem as well. As the second-largest meadow system of Austria after the Danube-meadows, this region accomodates habitats highest in biodiversity. Slovenia ignores this fact and plans to build six powerhouses in this region. The border river Maltsch with its unique riverside area in the Mühlviertel is another pearl of the GREEN BELT. Endangered species like the river pearl mussel and the corncrake could survive unnoticed by the public. Since June 2005 the first Austrian Green Belt-Infocentre is situated in Leopoldschlag, next to the Maltsch river. Shortly before leaving Austria the GREEN BELT reaches the mountains. The daffodil-meadows of the Karawanken mountain range and the meadows with the extreme rare Gladiolus illyricus in the Dobratsch forest are preserved. At the beginning of February 2006, the Austrian league for nature conservation in Carinthia - supported by the provincial government and hunters - succeeded in acquiring and preserving these areas. Although the motorway interrupts the GREEN BELT near Arnoldstein, bridges were built for migrating animals. The Austrian league for nature conservation works intensively on the conservation of the GREEN BELT. Its relevant provincial organisations have devoted themselves to take care of different nature-areas along the border for years. They organise information evenings, discussion rounds, slide shows, expert meetings and field trips to gems together with partner organisations. The central office on the federal level concentrates on coordination and public relations. The core areas are the participation in IUCN workshops and various meetings, the distribution of mail, brochures and leaflets as well as creating and maintaining the website. Dr. Johannes Gepp, as a vice-president of the Austrian league for nature conservation, is in charge for the Austrian GREEN BELT (National Focal Point of Austria). His responsibilities include the representation of Austria in international meetings and the coordination of activities in cooperation with the central office on the federal level. Furthermore, the Austrian league for nature conservation is involved in the international Interreg-Project. In order to integrate all municipalities along the former border of the Eastern bloc a CD has been produced. It invites to take a wander through the fascinating diversity of the GREEN BELT. The CD also gives information on alternatives and chances as well as on extensive agriculture and forestry and eco-friendly tourism. In October 2005, 180 participants from Austria and neighbouring countries took part in the Symposium "Life along the GREEN BELT". The participants had the possibility to exchange experiences and to learn from successful projects. Two field trips were organised, so the participants could "experience" the GREEN BELT. The result was an invitation to Bratislava, where the Austrian league for nature conservation presented the project. The most prominent guests were Dr. Lazlo Miklos, the Slovakian environment minister, Dr. Ladislav Ambros, section head for land use planning and conservation in the ministry of environment and Ing. Lubica Trubiniova, a Slovakian conservationist.