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DUNKERQUE-PORT INAUGURATES SAINT-GEORGES LINK'S ECO-LANDSCAPE BELT
6th june 2014

On Friday 6 and Saturday 7 June 2014, following World Environment Day, Dunkerque-Port inaugurated the eco-landscape belt of the Saint-Georges rail link.

Inspired by the initiatives of the Green and Blue Belts, and in accordance with the Natural Heritage Master Plan, Dunkerque-Port has created a natural area of 38 hectares in the territories of Gravelines, Bourbourg and Saint-Georges-sur-l’Aa.

The eco-landscape belt is a mosaic of regional natural areas designed to become a reservoir of biodiversity, where fauna and flora can flourish undisturbed. In addition, preliminary excavations have uncovered remains of buildings from the Middle Ages.

The official inauguration of this new area took place on Friday 6 June, in the presence of representatives of the port community and the project partners. On 6 and 7 June, members of the public visited the belt and saw the stands and events of the partner associations and institutions: demonstrations of meadow mowing on horseback, guided tours with an ecologist, archaeology events and more.

Dunkerque-Port planned this inauguration as a memorable event, symbolic and open to everyone.


Useful information:

Friday 6 and Saturday 7 June, 10.00 to 18.00
808 route de Gravelines, 59820 Saint-Georges-sur-l’Aa
Events and stands for all the family
Food available


The belt: first operational phase in the preservation of biodiversity.

The 2008 ports reform reinforced the role of Grand Port Maritime de Dunkerque as developer of the industrial and port area. While one of the Port’s major goals in the area is to support the setup of logistics and industrial businesses that will generate traffic through the port, opening the way for new economic activity and boosting employment, it is also committed to following the guidelines for sustainable development. 

With input from many partners, Dunkerque-Port has drawn up the Sustainable Development and Action Plan for the port territory («PA2D»), which will serve as the basis for the port’s sustainable development strategy in coming years. This PA2D is reflected in an action plan of 26 operational measures, a fundamental one being the implementation of the Natural Heritage Master Plan («SDPN») to coordinate and schedule the operations for preserving and enhancing the natural areas of the port’s territory.

This master plan demonstrates the determination of Dunkerque-Port to preserve ecologically valuable environments and follow a policy of responsible development of natural environments, alongside the development of industrial and port activities.

This eco-landscape belt, created together with the Saint-Georges rail link, is the first operational phase in this active policy of preserving and developing biodiversity. The completion of the belt marks the most ambitious ecological development operation since the creation of the Mardyck parkland walk 15 years ago.

But this development must also benefit local residents and improve their living environment, and so, to enable everyone to enjoy this new natural area, the Nord General Council has created a cycle path through the belt, linking Bourbourg, Saint-Georges-sur-l’Aa and Gravelines.

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