With the new funding line “Model Communities for Sustainable Structural Development” in the Rural Development Programme, the state is supporting municipalities in integrating and implementing climate protection and climate resilience measures in their structural development.
“The flood damage this year and the increase in hot days in recent years clearly show that the municipalities in the country must take the aspect of climate-resilient municipal development even more seriously in the future. Modern structural development without taking climate change into account would be negligent. This includes the fact that in the future, well-thought-out heat and water-sensitive village and city development must be the focus, especially in residential area measures. So-called sponge towns and villages are good examples of this. The Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection has therefore launched a new funding line that focuses particularly on these aspects and supports municipalities in doing so,” said the Minister for Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection, Peter Hauk.
Four municipalities are now pioneering the new funding line “Model communities Sustainable structural development“ or “MOGENA” for short. It is a further development of the previous support of the priority communities in Rural Development Programme (RDP)“Climate protection and climate resilience are recognized and implemented by these communities as essential building blocks of contemporary structural development,” stressed Minister Hauk.
Ensuring the future viability of communities
The common goal must be to preserve a livable environment for the citizens and at the same time to ensure the future viability of the communities. Many rural communities are already active in this area. Climate change “Fighting climate change and at the same time taking measures to adapt to its consequences is a cross-cutting municipal task that has already been recognized in many communities. With the new funding line ‘MOGENA’, we are acknowledging precisely this commitment and creating incentives for other communities to take on this task,” explained Minister Hauk.
The municipalities of Hirrlingen in the Tübingen district, Rosenberg in the Neckar-Odenwald district, Gerabronn in the Schwäbisch Hall district and Ellenberg in the Ostalb district are the first “MOGENA municipalities”. “The approach is individual in each municipality. While Hirrlingen, for example, initially uses temperature mapping to detect differences in microclimates, Rosenberg is focusing on taking small impulses for climate resilience into account through a large number of projects. I am particularly pleased that the municipalities are shaping this new path with their own ideas,” said Minister Hauk, wishing the municipalities accepted as “MOGENA” every success.
Application for rural communities
An application to become a “Model Community for Sustainable Structural Development” (MOGENA) is possible for all rural communities in rural areas and in the peripheral zones of urban areas. When applying, the communities must work intensively on the following fields of action:
- Space-saving settlement development;
- Demographic development;
- Protection of nature and landscape, especially in terms of municipal climate protection and climate resilience.
The spectrum of possible projects for “MOGENA communities” is wide.
Innovative municipal housing measures
The state also hopes to place particular emphasis on innovative municipal residential area measures, such as the removal of sealing from village squares, the integration of water retention areas in the town, the creation of small, shady and cool parks, the shading of inner-city areas by planting trees or the conversion with water-retaining floor coverings. In addition, the classic issues of municipal structural development, such as demographic change, the creation of attractive living and working conditions or adequate basic services, continue to be important.
Applications for the MOGENA funding line are possible all year round, and the selection process takes place at the beginning of the new program year. More detailed information is available online The relevant departments in the regional councils are also happy to provide information and advice.
