Strategic land protection for the Water Framework Directive (WFD)

Client: Landesamt für Umwelt Brandenburg
Cooperation: Vermessungsbüro Derksen König, LAB GmbH
Period: 2017-2018
Dimension: State of Brandenburg

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) has pursued an ambitious goal since 2000: to restore all surface waters and groundwater to good ecological status. Brandenburg has taken this mandate seriously and has been developing targeted water body development concepts (Gewässerentwicklungskonzepte, GEK) for years. By 2027, concrete programme measures are to be implemented within three management cycles. The strategy has changed significantly since 2016: moving away from lengthy GEK towards pragmatic solutions. Thus, the focus now lies on strategic land acquisition and management, as well as the design of water body buffer zones.

The greatest challenge is the substantial land requirement. Often, current riverbank property usage and diverse stakeholder interests impede free water body development. To address this, experts like FUGMANN JANOTTA PARTNER work systematically: they identify priority areas with high implementation probability and urgent action needs, analysing property ownership, land management, usage forms, protection area scenarios, and flooding situations (HQ10, HQ100).

Key instruments include voluntary land exchange, land consolidation procedures under the Land Consolidation Act (Flurbereinigungsgesetz, FlurbG), and direct user consultations. Depending on requirements, information events are proposed, and potential project carriers identified early. The goal is to establish land availability and implement measures pragmatically.

The strategy demonstrates: Brandenburg is tackling Water Framework Directive challenges actively and systematically.