BRANCH - Biodiversity Requires Adaptation in Northwest Europe under a Changing Climate | Umweltbundesamt

The HADCM3A2 and PCMA2 climate models and the IPCC emission scenarios are used.

2020s, 2050s, 2080s

Climate effects on land are already influencing flora and fauna and their habitats. Along coastlines, rising sea levels and increasing storm activity are resulting in changes to the landscape and impairing habitats. This leads to a loss of species, ecosystems and habitats. Other consequences for flora and fauna include changes in seasonal behaviour (e.g. for migrating birds), changes in ranges and loss of habitats (e.g. erosion of salt marshes on the coasts).

Transferable methods are developed at a European level to identify terrestrial and coastal areas that are particularly susceptible to climate change. These methods use a vulnerability index that represents a simple quantitative measure of the sensitivity of species and habitats. Therefore, in this case vulnerability relates to the exposure of ecosystems and species and their natural adaptation capacity (propagation capacity), but not to social adaptation capacity. The susceptibility is greater the more significantly the climate changes.

Implementing existing adaptation strategies and guidelines in spatial plans to allow flora and fauna to adapt to climate change is viewed as an urgent requirement.

Climate change will advance even if all of the proposed international climate protection measures are implemented. Therefore, it is extremely important to draw attention to the necessity of adaptation to climate change. For the planning process, this means that:

•  Objectives and strategies need to be set and developed that take account of adaptation to climate change,
•  These strategies for sustainability need to be integrated into strategic environmental assessments, and
•  Existing measures need to be implemented.

The objective is to develop spatial planning mechanisms and measures for adaptation to climate change and integration of adaptation methods into spatial planning and conservation area management. This is to be achieved by identifying good adaptation practices in case study areas and convincing stakeholders to integrate these adaptation options into all levels of planning processes. These adaptation options could involve establishment of dynamic conservation area management or networking of habitat mosaics.