Region Lausitz Spreewald

The planning region Lausitz-Spreewald, with an area of 7,200 square kilometers, is the largest of Brandenburg's Planning Regions (25% of the total area) and comprises the administrative districts of Dahme-Spreewald, Elbe-Elster, Oberspreewald-Lausitz and Spree-Neisse and the city of Cottbus.

With 650,000 residents a little more than a quarter of the population of Brandenburg live in the region (population density of 91 inhabitants / km ², Brandenburg mean 84 inhabitants / km ²).

The Lausitz-Spreewald region has nearly 3,000 square kilometers of forest area, the largest in the country. The most important rivers in the region include the Spree, the Elbe, the river Neisse, the Dahme and the Schwarze Elster. Larger artificial water bodies will be created in the post-mining landscapes by flooding of the numerous given up interconnected open-cast mines (Lusatian lake district).

In addition to four nature reserves the UNESCO biosphere reserve Spreewald is of national importance. In particular, the mining activity and the energy industry dominating the region for several decades lead to the intensification of water management problems.

Against this background a balance of interests between local stakeholders and the city of Berlin lying downstream of the region has to be reached. Negotiation will especially have to take into account which changes in water management measures and changes in land use are feasible to best to adapt to climate change.