Joint series with the UN
Following an invitation from the UN, the FZN took part in the "Let's talk land" webinar series for the first time in April 2024. Under the title "Transforming Landscapes: The Inspiring Journey of Restoring Mines - the Ruhr Valley Region Model", international experts discussed ways to innovatively shape land use in former mining regions. The UN’s G20 Global Land Initiative and the UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification) are co-organizing the series.
Julia Haske, head of the Reactivation and Transition research unit at the FZN, presented findings on structural change and the repurposing of former industrial areas in the Ruhr region. She used the transition process of the former mining site Dannenbaum colliery in Bochum as an example of successful transformation: where once coal was intensively mined and the car manufacturer Opel had its home, the innovation location "Mark 51.7" is now under development – a new knowledge and business center in the Ruhr area. It provides a home to future technologies and offers ideal conditions to start-ups and research institutions. Other mining regions are set to benefit from Germany’s experience in these matters in the future. More than 500 participants from over 100 countries signed up for the online workshop. Most of the registrations came from South Africa, Germany, India, Ghana and Kenya. The organizers are going to work together to develop additional webinars on suitable topics.
”"This clearly shows the importance of these topics and the high level of interest worldwide," says Haske. "Post-mining also touches on the topic of desertification in an international context: Through our research in the field of land development and the evaluation of its potential, we can help other countries that face similar challenges make their transformation processes more sustainable."
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