On January 21, an excursion to Kelbra in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz took place under the guidance of the JTC Innovation Team A6 and Revier Scout Thomas Ernst. The excursion marked the opening event of the workshop “Un/Bordering Animal Health”.
Animal Health and Wildlife Conservation in the Context of Just Transitions in Southern Saxony-Anhalt
On January 21, the JTC Innovation Team A6 and Revier Scout Thomas Ernst conducted a field trip to Kelbra in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz. The excursion brought together international researchers with members of the Just Transition Center as well as local stakeholders. Its aim was to provide insights into the role of nature conservation within regional just transitions and to discuss the local outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI, also known as bird flu) in October and November 2025.
The main destination of the trip was Lake Kelbra, located on the border between Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Representatives from the Dam Authority of Saxony-Anhalt offered an overview of the diverse responsibilities involved in managing the reservoir, ranging from flood protection and water-level control to ongoing regional development and transformation projects. Constructed in the 1960s to regulate the Helme River and prevent flooding, the lake remains a central element of regional flood protection and hydrological management systems. At the same time, it has become one of the most important roosting sites for the Eurasian crane (Grus grus) in Central Europe. This gives it an important role in biodiversity conservation for the whole of Europe and beyond and contributes significantly to boosting tourism in the region. Lake Kelbra thus exemplifies the close interconnection of technical infrastructure, nature conservation, and regional development.
A key component of ongoing transformation governance in the region is the NEST project (Information Centre “Nature Experience at the Reservoir”), which aims to develop the lake as a hub for environmental education, nature experiences, and sustainable tourism. The participants of the field trip had the opportunity to visit the construction site of the nature experience center and learn about the project’s goals, concepts, and expectations. Many perceive NEST as an important contribution to the long-term, sustainable development of the region.
A central focus of the field trip was the recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The head of the District Veterinary Office provided a detailed account of the outbreak in autumn 2025. Around Lake Kelbra alone, an estimated 6,000 crane carcasses had to be collected in October and November. Additionally, a suspected case at a regional laying-hen farm led to the precautionary culling of approximately 40,000 chickens. These reports highlight the close interconnections between animal health, livestock management, wildlife conservation, and regional transformation, as well as the challenges this poses for just transition governance, agriculture, and environmental protection in the region.
The excursion served as the starting point for the workshop “Un/Bordering Animal Health”, held from January 21–23 at the LegalTech Lab of the Just Transition Center in Halle. Building on the insights from Kelbra, researchers from universities and institutes including Oxford, Edinburgh, Prague, Liverpool, Nairobi, and Amsterdam, as well as from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, the German Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, explored how animal health is regulated across disciplinary, spatial, and political boundaries. The combination of engagement with local stakeholders and scientific reflection highlighted the JTC’s mission to link global challenges with regional experiences and to foster new forms of dialogue between science, governance, and society.
The discussions initiated during the workshop will continue through a joint book publication with an international academic publisher, and further transfer and collaboration projects are in planning.
Dr. Larissa Fleischmann
(Team A6: Diversity in Socio-Ecological Transformations: Migration, Demographic Change, Environmental Conservation)
