Presentation of the new National Plan for Nature Protection

“Et geet hei em ensekens manner ewéi eist natural Kapital ze schützen. D’Natur delivers eis e liewswichtege Service an den ze schützen ass eng absolute Necessityet. You need it for Naturschutzpläng eisen Nationale. Ëmsou méi freeën ech mech, fir haut de PNPN3 kinten ze lanceieren.” – Joelle Welfring

Origin of PNPN3

The 3rd National Nature Protection Plan (PNPN) was created in accordance with Articles 47 and 48 of the amended law of July 18, 2018 on the protection of nature and natural resources. This means that the PNPN3 in question was created not only with public consultation (including 254 comments received), but also with the opinion of the natural environment observatory and the suggestions of Klima-Biergerrot.

The outcome document also includes other national commitments, such as the targets set out in the Montreal Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal, Canada (December 2022), as well as those presented by the European Commission on 20 May 2020. and the European Union (EU) Biodiversity Strategy to 2030, adopted by the Council of the European Union on 23 October 2020 and by the European Parliament on 9 June 2021.

Why is PNPN3 important?

Luxembourg – despite its reduced surface area and lack of ecosystems and marine or mountain habitats – has significant biodiversity and diverse landscapes due to its significant geological and microclimatic diversity. This diversity within species and habitats, as well as ecosystems and the services they provide, is vital to our society’s existence and good quality of life. Nature is important not only for our physical and mental well-being, but also for our society’s ability to cope with global changes, health threats and natural disasters. Degradation of ecosystems, as well as the loss of ecosystem services, pose direct and existential threats to the lives and well-being of our people, endangering the foundations of our society and economy.

The challenges of nature conservation in Luxembourg are significant and require urgent action in the face of the alarming state of nature:

• Land use in Luxembourg is much higher than the European average;
• Luxembourg is the most divided country in Europe;
• Butterflies and birds in open habitats are in sharp decline, 2/3 of Europe’s important protected habitats are in an unfavorable conservation status;
• 4/5 of European important protected species are in unfavorable conservation status.

The PNPN3 sets out the measures to be implemented and the measurable measures to be achieved in the medium term (<2027) and at the end (2030) of this plan and how Luxembourg will contribute to the achievement of the European objectives. A strategy that includes objectives, commitments, actions and measures is clearly defined.

Structure and content of PNPN3

Based on the structure and content of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, the PNPN3 is structured according to the following four pillars:

1. Protection: The “Protection” panel targets the network of protection zones. The goal at the international and European level is to have a network covering 30% of the protected area. The Luxembourg network currently covers 27.8%. Therefore, we are very close to this goal. A corresponding goal is to strictly protect one-third of these areas, or 10% of the country. This is a real challenge for Luxembourg, which currently covers only 4.2% of strictly protected areas. The commune of Mertzig is a local example for the creation of new conservation zones: the “Massif forêt du” zone Sitert et mardelles” was designated a Natura2000 site in 2022 at the proposal of the municipality itself, thereby contributing to the expansion of this network.
2. Recovery: This second component focuses most on the restoration of degraded habitats and ecosystems and the reactivation of preserved ecosystem systems. Most of the restoration measures will be implemented in protected areas and meet international obligations. Special attention will also be paid to finding habitats that contribute to combating and adapting to climate change. These include habitats that sequester CO2 and carbon, habitats that conserve water and conserve natural water, thus preventing flooding, and habitats that reduce heat islands in cities, including green infrastructure. It is important to note that every euro invested in the restoration of these habitats generates multiple benefits in terms of ecosystem services beyond the investments. Various publications report ratios of 1 to 40, or even 1 to 100. Intermunicipal syndicates/biological stations involved in nature conservation are presented and represented, for example, by SIAS. Doris Bauer during the press conference, they are active partners in the implementation of PNPN, especially in terms of habitat protection and restoration, ecological development in urban areas, implementation of action plans and greening of urban areas.
3. Transformative change (collaboration between actors): Part 3ᵉ shows how the actors are directed to cooperate with each other and defines the means to be implemented to achieve the goals. This plan aims to enable all the various stakeholders to work together and participate on an individual basis. Actors of the agricultural sector, especially municipal syndicates with their biological stations, educational subjects, as well as the financial and economic sector, are important partners. Projects such as the Nature Pact, as well as awareness and training efforts, are also part of this aspect. Dairyman Claude Thiry presented his partnership with Sicona, another municipality.Natur Geneissen” and drawing on the example of his own farm, he drew the interrelationship between profitability, nature and land conservation and local and sustainable marketing.
4. International commitment (biodiversity at the international level): This component includes participation in biodiversity conservation at the global level. More precisely, these are the commitments that Luxembourg has decided to take with its international partners and is actively and financially committed to. Located in northeastern Senegal and seen as an example of international commitment, the Djoudj Ornithological Park Conservation Project aims to improve conditions for receiving waterfowl and protect the park from the wind. agricultural drainage water.

It was reported by the Ministry of Ecology, Climate and Sustainable Development