Regenerating the Lake Constance Region
Building Climate Landscapes
What if landscapes could heal the climate?
The Bodensee region is the first pilot Climate Landscape of Regenerate Forum — a place where farming, biodiversity, soil, and water are part of one living system. A place that shows regeneration in action.
We’re working with local farmers and partners to turn Bodensee into a resilient region where natural cycles are restored: soil stores carbon, water cycles are rebalanced, vegetation cools the climate, and communities reconnect to the land that sustains them.
This is regeneration — not just of agriculture, but of entire landscapes.
What is a Climate Landscape?
These landscapes store carbon, retain water, cool the air, and support biodiversity — all while producing food. They are climate-resilient, biologically diverse, and economically stable. Regeneration is possible — one landscape at a time.
A Climate Landscape is not a single method or project. It’s a whole-region approach to regeneration.
The three natural cycles we work with
The Carbon Cycle
Healthy soils store carbon through photosynthesis, reduce erosion, and feed fertility. When soil organic matter increases, it becomes a “carbon sponge” that supports plant life and cools the land.
The Small Water Cycle
Plants release moisture back into the air through transpiration — creating local rainfall and cooling. When land is bare, water runs off, and droughts increase. Restored landscapes hold water longer and bring rain back.
The Energy Cycle
Vegetation cools the climate by transforming energy: water vapour rises, clouds form, and heat is released into the atmosphere — or even into space. Thriving plant cover literally moderates heat.
We can’t solve the climate crisis without fixing the land.
The global climate is deeply tied to the health of our soils, forests, and water systems. When landscapes are degraded, they become part of the problem. But when they’re restored, they become part of the solution.
By regenerating the Bodensee region, we’re building a model of what’s possible: less drought and flooding, more biodiversity and food security, stronger local economies, and cooler, healthier microclimates. Regeneration is possible — one landscape at a time.
“If we focus on restoring soils, rebuilding water and energy cycles, and supporting farmers in working with nature, we can create landscapes that don’t just withstand climate change — they actually mitigate it.”
Stefan Schwarzer, Physical Geographer & Climate Landscape Expert
Want to help restore landscapes in Lake Constance?
We’re looking for partners, collaborators, funders, and doers — farmers, scientists, landowners, and regional leaders — who want to help us build Lake Constance into a Climate Landscape?
