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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This guidance document emphasises the importance of integrating more adaptive management <strong>into</strong>SEAs − a systematic process to c<strong>on</strong>tinually improve management policies <strong>and</strong> practices by learningfrom the outcomes of previously employed policies <strong>and</strong> practices. 32 One way to do this is to developan effective m<strong>on</strong>itoring system (see box below). In practical terms — given the l<strong>on</strong>g timescales oftenc<strong>on</strong>sidered — this is best integrated <strong>into</strong> the regular review process for PPs so that the objectives ofthe new or revised PP can be adapted to changing circumstances. So, while a PP may have a rolling20-year horiz<strong>on</strong>, it may be reviewed every five years, providing the opportunity to review <strong>and</strong> revisethe PP in light of changes observed over the preceding five years.<strong>Climate</strong> change mitigati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> adapti<strong>on</strong> indicators, <strong>and</strong> key biodiversity indicators, should beidentified as part of the m<strong>on</strong>itoring proposals in the SEA. However, many of these are likely toalready be indicators m<strong>on</strong>itored for the PP or other purposes <strong>and</strong> used to ensure that impactmitigati<strong>on</strong> measures are safeguarded, implemented, <strong>and</strong> focused <strong>on</strong> the most significant <strong>and</strong>relevant effects identified by the SEA process. Central to adaptive management will be the ability ofthe PP, when reviewed, to resp<strong>on</strong>d when thresholds or limits are exceeded or negative trendsworsen, e.g. a c<strong>on</strong>tinuing decline in populati<strong>on</strong>s of farml<strong>and</strong> birds or increasing frequency of floodevents in the plan area. Adaptive management is therefore more readily integrated <strong>into</strong> regularplan-making cycles, if these exist. For a <strong>on</strong>e-off PP, e.g. for a linear transport scheme, the adaptivemanagement <strong>and</strong> mitigati<strong>on</strong> measures need to be fed down the decisi<strong>on</strong>-making hierarchy <strong>into</strong>individual projects (<strong>and</strong> their EIAs) that arise out of the PP. The m<strong>on</strong>itoring arrangements alreadyidentified at strategic level may then be used for EIA.Mitigati<strong>on</strong> measures may have significant residual envir<strong>on</strong>mental effects that need to be taken <strong>into</strong>account (e.g. renewable energy generati<strong>on</strong> or tree planting may have adverse impacts <strong>on</strong>biodiversity). Hence, there is a need to m<strong>on</strong>itor the PP regularly <strong>and</strong> assess the mitigati<strong>on</strong> measuresagainst identified effects <strong>on</strong> the ground.The IMPEL Project’s Report 33 provides useful generic informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> m<strong>on</strong>itoring in SEA.Case study:SEA of the Thames Estuary 2100 Plan for Flood Risk Management — m<strong>on</strong>itoring adaptive capacityThis SEA highlights the importance of m<strong>on</strong>itoring the plan, given its l<strong>on</strong>g-term focus <strong>and</strong> the inherent uncertainty.The SEA report states that m<strong>on</strong>itoring will help to achieve ‘timely adaptati<strong>on</strong> of the plan in resp<strong>on</strong>se to changes inhow the Estuary resp<strong>on</strong>ds to both climate change <strong>and</strong> the flood risk management approaches.’ Am<strong>on</strong>g the aspectsthat the SEA expects to m<strong>on</strong>itor are: impacts of flood risk management measures <strong>and</strong> sea level rise (which willprovide an indicati<strong>on</strong> of the biodiversity effects <strong>and</strong> help determine whether habitat replacement measures arecorrectly aligned with the rate <strong>and</strong> scale of habitat loss); health <strong>and</strong> stability of the intertidal habitat; <strong>and</strong> ‘climaticfactors’ as measured by mean sea level rise, peak surge tide level <strong>and</strong> peak river flood flows.Source: The Envir<strong>on</strong>ment Agency for Engl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Wales relevant webpage32 Further guidance <strong>on</strong> adaptive management can be found at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfp/amhome/Admin/index.htm.33 IMPEL Project: Implementing Article 10 of the SEA Directive 2001/42/EC, Final Report (Impel, 2002).<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 49