Urban Meadows

LL-00335

Remediation and nature-based restoration of degraded industrial sites, raising local community awareness and engagement in Zemgale and Northern Lithuania

Common territorial challenge (s) that will be tackled by the project

The project address common and fundamental Latvian and Lithuanian cross border challenges of historical industrial pollution and biodiversity loss in the border region. Both countries have common and well-documented territorial challenge: the presence of historically contaminated degraded industrial sites in urban and peri-urban areas, which limit sustainable land use, pose environmental and health risks, and hinder the development of green infrastructure and climate-resilient cities. This challenge is shared in Programme area, where inherited similar Soviet-era infrastructure has left a legacy of soil and groundwater pollution. While nature-based solutions for land restoration in such areas remain underused due to the lack of practical examples and experience.

Project objective

The project aims to restore three degraded pilot sites in Naujoji Akmenė, Aizkraukle and Žagarė by transforming them into urban meadows. Through the joint testing of this nature-based approach on former industrial land, the project will demonstrate its potential to support ecological recovery and improve biodiversity. It will also strengthen public sector capacity for sustainable land management.

Planned activities

The project aims to restore three degraded pilot sites in Naujoji Akmenė, Aizkraukle and Žagarė by transforming them into urban meadows. Through the joint testing of this nature-based approach on former industrial land, the project will demonstrate its potential to support ecological recovery and improve biodiversity. The project will develop unified cross-border scientific monitoring approach to measure soil and biodiversity recovery, prepare practical guidelines as validated replicable model, produce a catalogue of best nature-based practices for polluted and degraded sites, and organise trainings about revitalization methods and study tours for target groups. Public environmental awareness and local community engagement will be strengthened through educational activities and public events - educational sessions for students and local schools and cross-border residents and volunteers engagement events in Naujoji Akmenė, Aizkraukle and Žagare. As part of joint cross-border campaign, native meadow seed packages will be created and distributed to encourage residents to create mini meadows in their homes and gardens. The initiative will also help to promote practical ways to bring more biodiversity into everyday urban spaces.

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