Three degraded areas of former industrial sites in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania are planned to be transformed into urban meadows with high biodiversity. The work will take place in Aizkraukle, Naujoji Akmenė, and Jāgari as part of the joint Urban Meadows project, the Zemgale Planning Region reported.
The Zemgale Planning Region, together with partners, has already begun implementing the project. Its goal is not only to restore three abandoned areas using nature-based solutions but also to find practical methods for restoring such places that can subsequently be applied by other municipalities.
As the project authors note, former industrial and other degraded areas in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania pose a potential threat to the environment, including soil and groundwater quality. At the same time, the current state of these sites significantly limits their further use.
Urban Meadows aims to demonstrate how nature-based solutions can bring such areas back into the urban environment while simultaneously promoting increased biodiversity.
Practical work will be carried out on three pilot sites. In Aizkraukle, the transformation will affect the area of the bitumen tanks, in Naujoji Akmenė — the former waste landfill, and in Jāgari — the site of a former concrete plant.
At all three locations, it is planned to clean and restore the areas, after which urban meadows will be established there.
At the same time, scientists will monitor soil restoration and the development of biodiversity. This will allow for an assessment of how effective the applied methods are and whether they can be used for the restoration of other contaminated and degraded areas.
Another important part of the project will be the accumulation of practical experience. In the future, the knowledge gained can be used by other municipalities and institutions.
The partners intend to develop a unified methodology for monitoring such areas, practical recommendations, as well as a catalog of best practices "Nature-Based Solutions for Contaminated and Degraded Areas."
The project includes training and exchange visits. In particular, project participants will learn about successful examples of restoring similar areas in the Netherlands.
Local residents will also be actively involved in the transformation of former industrial zones. Events will be held in Aizkraukle, Naujoji Akmenė, and Jāgari with the participation of residents and volunteers, and special educational activities will be organized for schoolchildren.
Additionally, during a cross-border information campaign, packets of seeds of local meadow plants will be prepared and distributed. This aims to encourage residents to create small meadows in their own gardens and near their homes.
The project authors hope that such small natural areas will help increase biodiversity not only in the territories of former industrial sites but also directly in the urban environment.
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