Weisswasser Office

The United Nations University’s REPOINT Laboratory — Resource Nexus for Post-Mining Inclusive Transition — is based in Weisswasser, Eastern Germany. Strategically located in the town on the edge of an active coal mine, the UNU-FLORES branch office serves as a real-world observatory for the complex challenges and opportunities of post-mining transitions.

This location in the Lusatian coalfield is no coincidence. By closely engaging with the region’s landscape restoration and post-coal transformation, UNU-FLORES contributes valuable insights to the global dialogue on sustainable and just transitions. The Eastern German experience offers transferable lessons for regions worldwide facing the decline of extractive industries.

REPOINT operates as a think tank for research, innovation, and collaboration: developing inclusive, resource-efficient, and environmentally responsible solutions for post-mining landscapes, both locally and globally. 

1. As we enter the coal phaseout era, over 3,600 industrial coal mines worldwide face imminent closure. The UN University branch in Weisswasser aims to position Lusatia as a model for numerous coal transition regions facing similar challenges. The diverse international team is dedicated to addressing a common global question: does the post-mining legacy function as an asset or a liability within the Resource Nexus framework?  
2. Tailoring land-use decisions to the specific material and resource demands of each former mining area is crucial. There is no imperative instruction on how to recreate a biome, but it is the top-priority question of how to meet the demands of the community and how not to deteriorate the resource base in its widest sense.  
3. In essence, the Resource Nexus approach doesn't prioritize transforming minescapes into “green” or “blue” areas for its own sake. Rather, the management plan is deemed successful if a barren area can be repurposed into an energy facility, transport hub, warehouse, etc. This approach ensures the conservation of resources by favoring brownfield development over greenfield expansion. 

    

Visit us at Str. der Glasmacher 18, 02943, Weisswasser