LIFE WILL: PHASE 2!

Motivation and enthusiasm for a greener landscape - these were the characteristics that united the 23 Czech and Slovak representatives at the recent Ekocentrum Paleta training in Paradubice, Czechia. Participants learned more about what ailments Czech landscape suffers from specifically, how climate change affects it, what we need to heal it, and most importantly: what and how they can do it!

Together with our partner organisations - the Association of Local Governments of the Czech Republic, Beleco and Daphne - Institute of Applied Ecology - we were able to move the LIFE WILL project into its second phase. We are now applying the methodology used in our pilot sites in other municipalities.

Landscape health in context and maps

The Czech Republic suffers from drought and is often hit by flooding. On the first day of the training, Vojtěch Kotecký, a leading Czech ecologist and analyst, gave a lecture to the participants about the fact that both of this issues have historically been due to a number of unfortunate interventions by farmers (such as land consolidation, land reclamation, etc.). He also told them about how exactly climate change affects landscapes and how negatively it affects their ecosystems. After providing a broad overview of the problems at hand, he then provided specific tactics people could start employing today to tackle the issues of the future. 

Jakub Zelený, People in Need’s environmental advisor, then offered participants the opportunity to search for their municipality using the mapping application to find out just how (un)healthy their landscape is and how different climate scenarios may affect it. Throughout the training, the participants had the opportunity to work with the printed maps of their localities and workbooks.

Zoning plans, projects, tools... and a walk!

Architect and urban planner Veronika Šindlerová enthralled the participants with a lecture on the use of land plans for landscape adaptation. Planner Zuzana Skřivanová then helped them to understand how to get the most out of comprehensive land development plans for the implementation of landscape measures, which the vast majority of municipalities do not yet have and may soon fulfil their potential for positive change. Finally, Jana Moravcová from Beleco gave an overview of the legislative conditions.

Landscape planners Hana Stuchlík Kašpaříková and Miroslava Plevková shared their practical experience and explained what nature-friendly measures are, what their function is, and what types of studies and documents can be used in project work. They are provided also a tangible example of good practice – a field trip to revitalised arm of the Chrudimka River.

Participation is useful. In every municipality

Saturday was all about participation. First, we introduced the participants to our participatory methodology "The Four Springs of Healthy Landscapes" and the possibilities to get involved in the LIFE WILL project. Then, our colleagues from NaZemi explained what participation is actually good for in landscape adaptation. They gave them a glimpse of possible ways of engaging and building long-term relationships with the public and provided inspiration in theoretical frameworks and best practice procedures.

In working groups, participants then created outlines of action plans and next steps in the communities and got to know each other better. Opportunities to network is vital if a project is going to be truly realized.  

Networking and strong (working) relationships

We are pleased to have established good working relationships across the group, and we will now start to develop these in the form of more specific steps, village by village.

"It has confirmed to me how important it is to network people who have a common interest ─ for example, in promoting water retention in the landscape," says Hana Stuchlík Kašpaříková.

„A group of mayors and other people from the leadership of towns and municipalities has thus laid the foundation for the creation of an inspiring group of people who will implement water protection and wind erosion measures in their territories. This will create a network of places to go to for inspiration," she adds optimistically.

Everyone agrees that the engagement and general feedback from the participants was really excellent. There was great interest in landscape restoration methodologies and also in the experts who can help develop comprehensive plans.

"The opportunity to share experiences between the municipalities during informal discussions over dinner also seems to be important," adds Jakub Zelený. The number of enthusiastic mayors, mayoral representatives of municipalities in our country is not small and it is our task to persevere, reach out to them and continue to involve them in the LIFE WILL project.

The LIFE WILL - Water in Landscapes and Soils project addresses the issue of drought and the impact of climate change on the landscape. It is co-financed by the LIFE programme - a financial instrument of the European Union supporting projects that increase the biodiversity of the landscape or its resilience to climate change and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic. It aims to increase the resilience of people and agricultural landscapes to climate change through the introduction of nature-based adaptation measures at the local level. We are implementing this objective using an innovative participatory methodology that helps to increase the involvement of local actors and the public and their ability to advocate for effective water retention measures in the soil and landscape.