According to an analysis by the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) and the Berlin-based Econics Institute, Saxony’s natural environment is becoming increasingly less able to mitigate the effects of heat, drought, and flooding. This is evident from the so-called Green-Wet-Cool Index, which assesses nature’s capacity for cooling, water retention, and climate adaptation. Among other things, satellite data is used for this purpose. In Saxony, the landscape traffic light is at dark red, according to the report.
Hardly Any Functioning Connectivity Networks
“These regions, however, stand out as isolated islands. It is striking that there are hardly any functioning connectivity networks,” the report noted. Saxony’s large river landscapes—whose floodplains play a prominent role in every biotope network—are barely recognizable. Even the FFH (Flora-Fauna-Habitat) areas protected under European law consistently showed critical damage or, at best, moderate ecological potential.
“Nature is not just a backdrop; it is our natural infrastructure. Intact forests, bogs, floodplains, and green spaces store water, cool their surroundings, and make our landscapes more resilient to the consequences of the climate crisis,” explained NABU President Jörg-Andreas Krüger.
Data confirm years of observations by conservationists
According to Maria Vlaic, head of NABU Saxony, the data confirm years of observations. Every spring, NABU volunteers throughout Saxony maintain amphibian protection fences in wetlands. “This reveals that the number of amphibians migrating to their spawning habitats is steadily declining. At some sites, protective fences are no longer being erected because hardly any animals migrate to their spawning grounds anymore.”
