The United Nations have declared the years from 2011 to 202 as the Decade on Biodiversity. The reason is the worldwide decline of biodiversity. Projects can be awarded the title if they are dedicated to the preservation, the sustainable use or the conveyance of the importance of biodiversity.
The joint project Treasure on the Coast (“Schatz an der Küste”) is being implemented between 2014 and 2020 in the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area and the Rostock Heath, the so-called Hotspot 29. It is being funded as part of the German National Strategy on Biodiversity from the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation with funds from the Federal Ministry for the Environment. The Naturschutzstiftung Deutsche Ostsee, with HQ in Greifswald, is project coordinator.
The Chair of Sustainability Science and Applied Geography at the University of Greifswald is mainly tackling the sociological questions in the project region and is trying to give light to biodiversity from the view of the population. To achieve this, the professorial chair is implementing three measures in the project region: A representative population survey, several public talks and an annual regional market. The comprehensive results from the population survey were published at the beginning of the year and can be found on www.schatzküste.com.
In 2015, a total of 1019 persons from 30 municipalities in the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area and the Rostock Heath were asked about the nature and landscape of the region. The survey’s results showed that the majority of the population of the Western Pomerania Lagoon Area and the Rostock Heath feel strongly connected to the region. The most important factor for the regional bond is the nature and landscape, even in front of family and friends or mentality and way of life. Although biodiversity and species diversity of the nature and landscape are personally important for most of the people, changes to biodiversity are hardly recognised. The term biodiversity is known to a large proportion of the population, its meaning is however mainly limited to species diversity. The population survey thus demonstrates that biodiversity is not only appreciated by experts, but also by a broad spectrum of the population. However, the region is in need of more information and awareness for the regional change in biodiversity and its causes.
Further information on the project [de]
Contacts at the University of Greifswald
Anne Kettner (Project Team Member)
Prof. Dr. Susanne Stoll-Kleemann (Head)
Institute of Geography and Geology
Chair of Sustainability Science and Applied Geography
Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Straße 16
17489 Greifswald
Tel.: +49 3834 86-4687 and 86-4680
anne.kettneruni-greifswaldde
susanne.stoll-kleemannuni-greifswaldde