Recent Challenges in Land Consolidation

in GermanyNicosia/ Cyprus, 13th of October 2010

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Joachim Thomas, Münster/ Germany

Congratulation !!!!!!!!

Re-arranging of rural land tenure

to improve the production and working conditions in

agriculture and forestry

to promoting the general use of agricultural land

to promoting land development

(land development = improving the living conditions

in rural areas)

(legal definition in the „German Land Consolidation Act“)

Projects, which pursue these goals =

„comprehensive or regular land consolidation“

„Land Consolidation“

in the „German sense and application“

Land Consolidation „Kreuzau-Nideggen“

Land Consolidation „Kreuzau-Nideggen“

The need for

land consolidation projects in Germany

Year Sum

number of projects area in hectares

1980 4.681 4.242.172

1990 4.015 3.412.724

German Re-unification !!!

1995 10.060 3.246.834

2001 7.031 3.100.415

2002 6.791 3.136.018

2007 7.461 2.985.198

2008 6.972 3.009.112

The current land consolidation projects amount to ca. 8,4% of the area of the FRG in total!

the essence of „land consolidation“

Special Planning

“Improvement

of Agricultural

Structures”

Land

Re-adjustmentand

the recent challenges in Germany

Efficient accompanying of big public infrastructure projects

Support of the implementation of the

EU-Water Frame Directive

Reducing the undamped consumption of agricultural land for

public purposes

Making wood availably as renewal energy (forest LC)

Resolving the socialistic legacy (in East Germany)

recent challenges of

land consolidation in Germany

Efficient accompanying of

public infrastructure projects

highways and other transport

constructions,

high speed rail ways,

dams for drinking water,

airport/ harbour enlargement,

flood prevention

recent challenges of

land consolidation in Germany

Support of the implementation of the

EU-Water Frame Directive

The challenge ( for example in the State NRW):

From 60.000 km water bodies

2.ooo km have to be changed by construction measures

ca. 2000 hectares of land along the waters have to be conveyed to the public

until 2020

and (as political proportion!)without any administrative compulsion or just expropriation

=>A squaring of the circle!!!!

recent challenges of

land consolidation in Germany Reduction of the

undamped rededication of agricultural land

Preference to inner/ interior development of rural settlements!

recent challenges of

land consolidation in Germany

Inner development of

rural settlements

Village development!

recent challenges of

land consolidation in Germany forest land consolidation

recent challenges of

land consolidation in Germany

In East Germany:

Continuing the determination,

restitution and re-arrangement

of private real property (in

consequence of the socialistic

legacy)

resumee

land consolidation was ever „means to an end“

land consolidation was ever established in order to realize socio-economic goals

Therefore, land consolidation is „the timely answer“ to guaranteeing of the constitutional rights for freedom and free availability of real property of human beings in a pluralistic society in a liberal democratic state!

resumee

land consolidation was ever „means to an end“

land consolidation was ever established in order to

realize socio-economic goals

Therefore, land consolidation is „the timely answer“

to safeguarding of the constitutional rights for

freedom and free availability of real property of

human beings in a democratic state!

former and new land tenure

structure

benefits for the privates

merging of parcels

better shaping of parcels

reducing of working ways and working time in general

construction of new rural roads and better access to the plots

enlargement of the plots nearby the farm holds

rearward access of the farm holds within the villages

measures against water and wind erosion

All that led to a distinct increasing of farming incomes

benefits for the public

village renewal measures

communal road bypasses

landscape development

nature protection measures

design and implementation of a walking paths network

establishing of playgrounds within and nearby the village

enlargement of the area for waste disposal

embellishment of the church surrounding and other

public places within the

village

etc.

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005

XX special importance

high importance

medium importance

low importance rural development

- allocation of areas for nature

- implementation of landscape planning

integrated

Source: Thomas, J. (2005): Zur Bedeutung und zum Bedeutungsw andel der Flurbereinigung in Deutschland. Flächenmanagement und

Bodenordnung, 4/2005

legend

land

consolidation integral land

consolidation

promoting the

general use

cultivating of fallow land / forest clearing

cultivating of moor

- measures of soil improvement

- measures of soil conversation

nature protection and landscape conservation

- landscape development

- allocation of riparian land

- renaturation of w aterbodies

soil conservation

goals measures

dehydration of w etlands

drainage

w ater bodies

- straighthening of w ater bodies

programmatic primary goals

increase of

production

increase of

productivity

development of

the rural areas

EG-VO 1257/1999

FlurbG 1953 FlurbG 1976 FlurbG 1994

2

historical retrospective

swamp

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2005

XX special importance

high importance

medium importance

low importance rural development

rural tourism

integrated

diversif ication

legend

land

consolidation integral land

consolidation

developing of land

and rural areas by

re-arrangement of

agriculture land

rural settlements

- settlements for refugees

development of communal settlement

village renew al

village development

goals measures

- relocation

- settlements for farm w orkers

decongistion of villages

readjustment of villages parcels

programmatic primary goals

increase of

production

increase of

productivity

development of

the rural areas

EG-VO 1257/1999

FlurbG 1953 FlurbG 1976 FlurbG 1994

3

historical retrospective

Source: Thomas, J. (2005): Zur Bedeutung und zum Bedeutungswandel der Flurbereinigung in Deutschland. Flächenmanagement und

Bodenordnung, 4/2005.