RUR research reports are changing perceptions of the Ústí Region

Less Industry, More Nature: RUR’s First Research Reports Are Changing the Perspective on the Ústí Region
Is the Ústí Region really just an industrial landscape? And where should we start implementing measures that will still be effective in 10 or 20 years? The RUR project has published its first two research reports, which provide concrete answers and, in many respects, challenge long-held assumptions.

During 2025, two key reports were produced at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague:
Selection of Pilot Areas and Area Analysis and Monitoring. Both publications are now available online and form the basis for further fieldwork.

What findings will you find in the reports (and why they’re worth paying attention to):

• More than 91% of the Ústí Region consists of open countryside. The myth of a purely industrial region does not hold true. The potential for adapting to climate change is significantly higher than is commonly assumed.
• Valuable natural areas are emerging on the spoil heaps of the Vršany quarry. Spontaneous ecological succession here has led to the creation of new significant landscape features and is moving toward possible protection as a national natural monument.
• The Bílina River is returning to the landscape. In the Ervěnice Corridor, where the river currently flows through a pipeline within an artificial embankment, preparations are underway to restore the river to an open, near-natural channel.
• “Heavenly Ponds” are increasing biodiversity. Pools fed solely by rainwater are forming on the spoil heaps, becoming a refuge for rare species.
• Data in a level of detail never seen before. The analysis utilises high-density LiDAR data and is preparing to deploy neutron sensors for large-scale soil moisture measurements across entire hectares.

The report "Selection of Pilot Areas" demonstrates how to combine data, local knowledge, and practical constraints so that the selection of areas is not arbitrary but sustainable in the long term.
The report “Area Analysis and Monitoring” provides a detailed overview of the state of the landscape, water, and microclimate, and demonstrates how to verify this data directly in the field.

Both reports are more than just academic outputs. They serve as tools to help decide where to begin and what makes sense to monitor at the selected sites. It is precisely based on these reports that we are currently designing and testing specific measures in the field.

The team is already working on the third research report, which will focus on data—both the data that has already been collected and the data that is not yet complete, as well as the data that can actually be analysed. These research reports will be published on an ongoing basis, expanding the overall picture of the selected sites with additional materials that build upon these reports, ranging from proposed measures to their practical evaluation.

If you are addressing similar issues in your area, these outputs can serve as a concrete guide and inspiration for how to proceed step by step.

The reports are available for download in both print and online versions.