In 1987 the federal state of Lower Saxony decided to redevelop the Dümmer lake and its adjacent lowlands. The interests of agriculture, water economy, nature conservation and tourism have to be coordinated in such a way that the  goals of nature conservation are not endangered but supported. To achieve this the two LIFE projects are of special importance.

Besides improving the water quality, one of the main aims is to restore the wetlands of the fens in the Dümmer lake area. In winter the meadows are covered in shallow water, in summer the water is allowed to recede slowly so that the meadows and pastures can be farmed extensively. Thus over 100 farmers in the region actively engage in nature conservation at the Dümmer lake. This is a prerequisite for the restoration and further development of suitable habitats for water, wading and meadow bird species.

The society "Naturraum Dümmerniederung" for the preservation of the lake and lowlands area, together with the participation of a regional industrial company, financial institutions, nature conservation, dyke and water associations, towns and municipalities and the federal state of Lower Saxony, supports the development of the nature reserves at the Dümmer lake.