Guidance on Integrating Climate Change and Biodiversity into ...
Guidance on Integrating Climate Change and Biodiversity into ...
Guidance on Integrating Climate Change and Biodiversity into ...
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the Member States if they use the EU Structural <strong>and</strong> Cohesi<strong>on</strong> Funds. Many European countries, aswell as some regi<strong>on</strong>s <strong>and</strong> cities, have adopted adaptati<strong>on</strong> strategies. The European Envir<strong>on</strong>mentAgency (EEA) keeps an overview of adaptati<strong>on</strong> strategies in its 32 member countries. 14 It also hoststhe European <strong>Climate</strong> Adaptati<strong>on</strong> Platform: CLIMATE-ADAPT.Table 4 below summarises the key internati<strong>on</strong>al <strong>and</strong> EU policies <strong>on</strong> climate change adaptati<strong>on</strong>.Table 4: Key aspects of climate change adaptati<strong>on</strong> policyPolicy resp<strong>on</strong>seObjectives <strong>and</strong> targetsEU Strategy <strong>on</strong> Adaptati<strong>on</strong>to <strong>Climate</strong> <strong>Change</strong>European <strong>Climate</strong>Adaptati<strong>on</strong> Platform:CLIMATE-ADAPT• The European Commissi<strong>on</strong> adopted a White Paper <strong>on</strong> Adapting to <strong>Climate</strong> <strong>Change</strong> in2009, leading to an EU Adaptati<strong>on</strong> Strategy in 2013.• The Adaptati<strong>on</strong> Strategy will:o recognise how important impact assessment is for climate proofing (thisguidance supports the Strategy’s key objectives <strong>and</strong> acti<strong>on</strong>s)o identify the key priorities for acti<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> how EU policies can encourage effectiveadaptati<strong>on</strong> acti<strong>on</strong>o highlight the issue of adapting infrastructure to climate change <strong>and</strong> include aseparate document <strong>on</strong> this topico encourage creating green infrastructure <strong>and</strong> applying ecosystem-basedapproaches.• <str<strong>on</strong>g>Guidance</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> how to mainstream adaptati<strong>on</strong> <strong>into</strong> the Comm<strong>on</strong> Agricultural Policy <strong>and</strong>Cohesi<strong>on</strong> Policy will be developed after the Adaptati<strong>on</strong> Strategy is adopted.• A publicly accessible, web-based platform designed to support policy-makers at EU,nati<strong>on</strong>al, regi<strong>on</strong>al <strong>and</strong> local levels in the development of climate change adaptati<strong>on</strong>measures <strong>and</strong> policies.• It has been developed to help users to access, disseminate <strong>and</strong> integrate informati<strong>on</strong><strong>on</strong>:o expected climate change in Europeo the vulnerability of regi<strong>on</strong>s, countries <strong>and</strong> sectors now <strong>and</strong> in the futureo informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> nati<strong>on</strong>al, regi<strong>on</strong>al <strong>and</strong> transnati<strong>on</strong>al adaptati<strong>on</strong> activities <strong>and</strong>strategieso case studies of adaptati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> potential future adaptati<strong>on</strong> opti<strong>on</strong>soo3.2 Introducti<strong>on</strong> to biodiversity<strong>on</strong>line tools that support adaptati<strong>on</strong> planningadaptati<strong>on</strong>-related research projects, guideline documents, reports informati<strong>on</strong>sources, links, news <strong>and</strong> events.<strong>Biodiversity</strong> — or biological diversity — is <strong>on</strong>e of the key terms in c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong>,encompassing the richness of life <strong>and</strong> the diverse patterns it forms. The C<strong>on</strong>venti<strong>on</strong><strong>on</strong> Biological Diversity (CBD) defines biological diversity as ‘the variability am<strong>on</strong>g livingorganisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine <strong>and</strong> other aquaticecosystems <strong>and</strong> the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includesdiversity within species, between species <strong>and</strong> of ecosystems’ (Article 2).The Natura 2000 network of protected areas, created <strong>on</strong> the basis of the Habitats <strong>and</strong> the BirdsDirectives, is the backb<strong>on</strong>e of the EU’s biodiversity policy. At present, the network covers almost18 % of the EU’s l<strong>and</strong> surface <strong>and</strong> more than 145 000 km² of its seas. However, it is important toremember that the c<strong>on</strong>cept of biodiversity is not limited to the Natura 2000 network, it is muchbroader:• The Birds <strong>and</strong> Habitats Directives also cover species <strong>and</strong> habitats outside Natura 2000 sites.14 Available from: http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate/nati<strong>on</strong>al- adaptati<strong>on</strong>-strategies.24 <str<strong>on</strong>g>Guidance</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> integrating climate change <strong>and</strong> biodiversity <strong>into</strong> SEA