Future of the sponge region: ILE meeting on December 2nd in Falkenstein

On December 2nd, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. the meeting of the special purpose association assembly of the ILE Vorderer Bavarian Forest will take place in the meeting room of the town hall in Falkenstein. This meeting, which was called by the chairwoman of the association, Irmgard Sauerer, deals with future-oriented topics in the region. The meeting room is located at Marktplatz 1 in 93167 Falkenstein. The agenda includes various items, including the presentation of the goals for the sponge region, which will be presented with the help of Christian Burkhard and Thomas Schwarz from Landimpuls.

A main focus of the meeting is the sponge region manager's activity report, which will present the current status of implementation and the roadmap for 2026. This includes projects and an outlook for 2027/2028, as well as the status of a planned kick-off and information event and a film project. In addition, the meeting will discuss all-day care at primary schools during the holidays in order to promote the formation of opinions on the joint offer.

Sponge region and its significance

The concept idea of ​​the sponge region aims to optimize the water balance in the region and ensure resilience to climate impacts. This is becoming increasingly important, especially against the backdrop of climate change. Due to increasing dry periods and more frequent floods and heavy rain events, a functioning landscape water balance is becoming essential for the survival of healthy ecosystems and the supply of water to people.

To date, only 9% of German water bodies are in good ecological condition, which has been exacerbated by human interventions such as straightening, drainage and sealing. The aim of the initiatives and projects around the sponge region is to improve ecological conditions through renaturation projects and thus also promote biodiversity.

As part of the “Sponge Regions in Bavaria” action program, it was recognized that staff implementation support would be supported for five years. Public events and special events for those affected by floods are also being planned. These measures are intended to make the region as a whole more resilient to the consequences of climate change.

Cooperation and challenges

On March 25, 2025, a regular association meeting of the mayors of the ILE municipalities took place in the Wiesent town hall. There the ILE management reported on the selection of this year's regional budget projects. A total of around 24 funding applications were received, 17 of which were successfully funded. A total of 75,000 euros is available for the selected projects.

The ILE management is currently looking for suitable offices to support the sponge region in the coming years. The focus is on further development in the areas of water balance and water-sensitive landscape and settlement design. In order to master the challenges of climate change, innovative approaches and sustainable water design must be taken into account, as the Federal Environment Agency also reports.

The initiative to create ecological balance in the region is not only a question of the environment, but also of people's quality of life. In this way, the landscape water balance becomes the basis for a functioning, climate-resilient ecosystem and for improving the living conditions of all residents in the Upper Bavarian Forest.