Compensation areas for transport infrastructure projects

Within the framework of the impact regulation under nature conservation law, area compensation measures are regularly created to compensate for impacts caused by motorway and motorway projects. However, in none of the three D-A-CH countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) is there a uniform procedure for the planning, securing, maintenance and control of replacement or compensation areas, which means that the long-term security of the measures is often not given. Controls and evaluations of success are not carried out in a uniform manner. These circumstances make the implementation of compensation regulations and measures very complex in practice. Central land registers are not available in any of the three countries, although efforts are being made.

Together with the project partners ARNAL AG (Switzerland), University of Geisenheim (Germany), Leibniz Institute for Ecological and Regional Development (Germany), E.C.O. developed a uniform presentation of the status quo on the one hand and recommendations for action and implementation on the other. This takes into account aspects of climate and landscape change with regard to how planning, securing, maintenance and control of compensation and replacement areas can be improved in the future. The work was carried out by an interdisciplinary and international project team from the fields of practice and science, law and ecology.