biodiversity and climate change. The CBD COP has resolved to “take measures to
manage ecosystems so as to maintain their resilience to extreme climate events and
to help mitigate and adapt to climate change” and to “integrate climate change
adaptation measures in protected area planning, management strategies, and in the
design of protected area systems.” The EU’s existing commitments including the
Biodiversity Action Plan have already been instrumental in achieving some progress in the implementation of policies and practical measures for nature conservation in the face of climate change.
The European process of adapting nature conservation to climate change is
already progressing in both political and practical dimensions, though adaptation
options and approaches may be of a piecemeal character and vary between countries. Thus there is a need for an integrated strategic approach to be applied at
regional and national levels to ensure that timely and effective adaptation of
management measures is taken, safeguarding coherency across different sectors
and levels of governance (Draft Guidelines 2012).
7
The White Paper sets out a framework for the European policies which aim to
reduce environmental vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by identifying
main directions of activities to be taken. The document highlights the necessity for
a more integrated effort to mitigate and adapt to climate change, as this is a
prerequisite for preserving both the natural values and the socio-economic interests
of Europe. The White Paper makes it clear that adaptation needs to be urgently
mainstreamed into EU sector policies, and that in each sector further work needs to
be done to improve understanding of the impact of climate change, assess appropriate responses and secure the necessary funding, while adaptation policies receive
support and are strengthened by an integrated and coordinated approach at EU
level. Also the new EU biodiversity strategy ‘Our life insurance, our natural capital’
of 2011 underlines the urgency of addressing climate change in sector policies in
order to increase the resilience of European biodiversity.
The ‘Draft Guidelines on dealing with the impact of climate change on the
management of Natura 2000’ implement one of the actions of the White Paper.
8
The document provides opportunities for adaptive planning and managing climate
change impacts and presents practical options (strategies and measures) for management adaptation to reduce non-climatic stresses in habitats. At the same time,
the Guidelines lay down principles for generating new activities to increase the
effectiveness of responses to climate change with the aim of preserving Europe’s
biodiversity. The principles for conservation and management strategies that maintain biodiversity can be summarised as follows: integrate biodiversity into wider
seascape and landscape management; restore degraded ecosystems and ecosystem
functions; and facilitate adaptive management by strengthening monitoring and
7 Draft Guidelines on Climate Change and Natura 2000, European Commission, 2012 (op. cit. fn. 4).
8 Commission of the European Communities, White Paper – Adapting to climate change: Towards
a European framework for action COM(2009) 147 final.
9 Legal Aspects of Climate Change Adaptation
137
manage ecosystems so as to maintain their resilience to extreme climate events and
to help mitigate and adapt to climate change” and to “integrate climate change
adaptation measures in protected area planning, management strategies, and in the
design of protected area systems.” The EU’s existing commitments including the
Biodiversity Action Plan have already been instrumental in achieving some progress in the implementation of policies and practical measures for nature conservation in the face of climate change.
The European process of adapting nature conservation to climate change is
already progressing in both political and practical dimensions, though adaptation
options and approaches may be of a piecemeal character and vary between countries. Thus there is a need for an integrated strategic approach to be applied at
regional and national levels to ensure that timely and effective adaptation of
management measures is taken, safeguarding coherency across different sectors
and levels of governance (Draft Guidelines 2012).
7
The White Paper sets out a framework for the European policies which aim to
reduce environmental vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by identifying
main directions of activities to be taken. The document highlights the necessity for
a more integrated effort to mitigate and adapt to climate change, as this is a
prerequisite for preserving both the natural values and the socio-economic interests
of Europe. The White Paper makes it clear that adaptation needs to be urgently
mainstreamed into EU sector policies, and that in each sector further work needs to
be done to improve understanding of the impact of climate change, assess appropriate responses and secure the necessary funding, while adaptation policies receive
support and are strengthened by an integrated and coordinated approach at EU
level. Also the new EU biodiversity strategy ‘Our life insurance, our natural capital’
of 2011 underlines the urgency of addressing climate change in sector policies in
order to increase the resilience of European biodiversity.
The ‘Draft Guidelines on dealing with the impact of climate change on the
management of Natura 2000’ implement one of the actions of the White Paper.
8
The document provides opportunities for adaptive planning and managing climate
change impacts and presents practical options (strategies and measures) for management adaptation to reduce non-climatic stresses in habitats. At the same time,
the Guidelines lay down principles for generating new activities to increase the
effectiveness of responses to climate change with the aim of preserving Europe’s
biodiversity. The principles for conservation and management strategies that maintain biodiversity can be summarised as follows: integrate biodiversity into wider
seascape and landscape management; restore degraded ecosystems and ecosystem
functions; and facilitate adaptive management by strengthening monitoring and
7 Draft Guidelines on Climate Change and Natura 2000, European Commission, 2012 (op. cit. fn. 4).
8 Commission of the European Communities, White Paper – Adapting to climate change: Towards
a European framework for action COM(2009) 147 final.
9 Legal Aspects of Climate Change Adaptation
137