Climate adaptation in Berlin cemeteries Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Program: Climate adaptation measures at EVFBS cemeteries

The cemeteries of the Evangelical Cemetery Association Berlin Stadtmitte (EVFBS) are places of burial and remembrance, cultural heritage and garden monuments. In the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district, they make up 15% of the green spaces, are green oases and make a valuable contribution to relieving the bioclimatic burden on the densely built-up city.



The consequences of climate change are also being felt in cemeteries. This project has developed solutions to make them climate-ready. The project was funded by the Berlin Energy and Climate Protection Program (BEK).



Together with oikotec Ingenieur*innen GmbH and Wohngrünwert (Thomas N. H. Knoll), gruppe F documented and evaluated the current situation and developed measures for climate adaptation. These are:



- Improvement of rainwater management, including the use of rainwater for irrigation (decoupling from the sewer system and drinking water network)

- resulting in a sufficient water supply for the greenery in the cemeteries.

- Preservation of the culturally and historically significant tree population and structural richness, its careful development towards greater robustness in the face of climate change.

- Promotion of habitat functions for plants and animals through a graduated intensity and distribution of use and appropriate maintenance,

- strengthening cemeteries in their recreational function as inner-city climate oases and

- the observance of monument protection
.


The measures were discussed in a participatory process with representatives of the cemetery administration, nature conservation associations and the monument protection authority and compared with current maintenance practice.


At the Landsberger Allee site, climate-adapted tree species were planted in a pilot project and measures were implemented to improve the soil. A rainwater cistern was also built because a key component of climate adaptation is supplying the urban greenery with rainwater instead of drinking water. It has a volume four times larger than originally planned because, in addition to the water from the roof and courtyard areas at the cemetery, it also collects the rainwater that accumulates on the roof of a new building complex. This neighborly cooperation led to a win-win situation.