<strong>Biodiversity</strong> Acti<strong>on</strong> Plans(BAPs)• BAPs provide details <strong>on</strong> how the <strong>Biodiversity</strong> Strategy is to be achieved. They arepresent at European level (for example, the 2006 BAP now superseded by the 2020<strong>Biodiversity</strong> Strategy), but also exist across the EU <strong>and</strong> worldwide under the CBD (asNati<strong>on</strong>al <strong>Biodiversity</strong> Strategy <strong>and</strong> Acti<strong>on</strong> Plans, NBSAPs). In Member States, they aresometimes aligned with the EU 2006 BAP.• BAPs form the wider implementati<strong>on</strong> framework for biodiversity, bey<strong>on</strong>d Natura2000. At Member State level, they list identified species <strong>and</strong> habitats, assess theirstatus within the ecosystem, create c<strong>on</strong>servati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> restorati<strong>on</strong> targets <strong>and</strong>establish the budgets <strong>and</strong> timelines needed to achieve said targets.• BAPs can also require the protecti<strong>on</strong> of certain species where they occur outside ofprotected areas.3.3 Interacti<strong>on</strong>s between climate change <strong>and</strong> biodiversityThe natural envir<strong>on</strong>ment is intrinsically interlinked. These links are evident am<strong>on</strong>g manyenvir<strong>on</strong>mental issues, including climate change <strong>and</strong> biodiversity. This secti<strong>on</strong> does not attempt tofully describe the links between these two aspects, but simply focuses <strong>on</strong> the key interacti<strong>on</strong>s thatare directly relevant to SEAs.Two examples of interacti<strong>on</strong>s between biodiversity <strong>and</strong> climate change are:Using green infrastructure for floodrisk managementThe EU Floods Directive establishes aframework for the management of floodrisks. It gives the EU Member States thechoice of measures to put in place toreduce the adverse c<strong>on</strong>sequencesrelated to floods.Article 7 requires Member States to settheir own flood management objectives.The objectives must also focus <strong>on</strong> ‘n<strong>on</strong>structural’measures (ranging from earlywarningto natural water retenti<strong>on</strong>measures) <strong>and</strong>/or <strong>on</strong> the reducti<strong>on</strong> ofthe likelihood of flooding.These are potentially very cost-effectivealternatives of achieving flood protecti<strong>on</strong>to c<strong>on</strong>structing new or reinforcing dykes<strong>and</strong> dams. They often deliver multiplebenefits in additi<strong>on</strong> to flood protecti<strong>on</strong>.Examples of such measures are:• restoring natural flows byrealignment of coastal areas, or rec<strong>on</strong>necti<strong>on</strong>of rivers with theirfloodplain;• restorati<strong>on</strong> of wetl<strong>and</strong>s which canstore flood water <strong>and</strong> help ‘slow theflow’ of flood waters;• urban green infrastructure such asgreen spaces or green roofs.Source: DG Envir<strong>on</strong>ment relevantwebpage• Supporting biodiversity delivers clear carb<strong>on</strong> benefitsby enhancing the natural envir<strong>on</strong>ment’s ability toabsorb <strong>and</strong> store carb<strong>on</strong> via soil <strong>and</strong> plant matter.Evidence suggests that healthy natural habitats suchas soil, wetl<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>and</strong> forests can sequester significantamounts of carb<strong>on</strong>. Damaging the biodiversity orphysical envir<strong>on</strong>ment of these areas can release thisstored carb<strong>on</strong>, even indirectly, c<strong>on</strong>tributing to climatechange <strong>and</strong> to reducing biodiversity.• <strong>Biodiversity</strong> <strong>and</strong> the natural envir<strong>on</strong>ment provideservices that increase our resilience to the impacts ofclimate change, such as changes in precipitati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong>temperature. For example, well-functi<strong>on</strong>ing greenspaces can regulate storm water flow, reducing therisk of flood events. Ecosystems <strong>and</strong> their services canbe used in many PPs with success as cost-effectivealternatives to build infrastructure, for example, tomanage flood risks (see box left). Green spaces <strong>and</strong>vegetati<strong>on</strong> also provide cooling within cities reducingthe impact of heat waves <strong>and</strong> the urban heat isl<strong>and</strong>effect <strong>and</strong> plants stabilise soils, reducing the risk ofl<strong>and</strong>slides <strong>and</strong> erosi<strong>on</strong>. By c<strong>on</strong>trast, deforestati<strong>on</strong> canc<strong>on</strong>tribute to mudslides, etc.The link between biodiversity <strong>and</strong> climate change is not<strong>on</strong>e-way. The effects of a changing climate are alreadyhaving an impact <strong>on</strong> biodiversity <strong>and</strong> ecosystem serviceprovisi<strong>on</strong>. It is predicted that climate change will be the28 <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
single biggest cause of biodiversity loss next to l<strong>and</strong> use change. 19 The impacts of climate change <strong>on</strong>biodiversity stem from the fact that species tend to evolve to a specific range of envir<strong>on</strong>mentalfactors, such as temperature or moisture. As these factors alter due to climate change, species needto migrate to stay in their optimum envir<strong>on</strong>ment. Some species are more adaptive. For others, thisthreatens their ability to survive <strong>and</strong> hence increases extincti<strong>on</strong> rates <strong>and</strong> reduces biodiversity.The ability of species to resp<strong>on</strong>d to climate-enforced migrati<strong>on</strong> is also limited by human activity,which has changed l<strong>and</strong> use <strong>and</strong> fragmented habitats. When roads, urban areas <strong>and</strong> agricultural l<strong>and</strong>st<strong>and</strong> in their way, many species will find it almost impossible to migrate across the l<strong>and</strong>scape. Thereis therefore a need to facilitate this natural adaptati<strong>on</strong> process by, for example, recognisingecological networks <strong>and</strong> corridors, <strong>and</strong> creating new corridors to reduce fragmentati<strong>on</strong>.19 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) Synthesis Report.<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 29
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