On Tuesday 24 March, the European Commission adopted new guidelines to help Member States adapt the Natura 2000 network to growing pressures of climate change. This 120-page document aims to strengthen the resilience of protected natural sites while supporting the European Union’s climate goals.
The Natura 2000 network, which covers 18.6% of the EU’s land and 10.5% of its seas, is the cornerstone of the EU biodiversity and conservation policy. This network must now incorporate climate adaptation into its management.
The guidelines propose concrete measures to achieve this, without creating new legal constraints, but by exploiting the flexibility offered by the Birds and Habitats Directives.
The document highlights ‘win-win’ approaches, where nature protection also contributes to climate mitigation and adaptation, such as: restoring degraded ecosystems (wetlands, forests, peatlands) to strengthen their capacity to store carbon and withstand climate hazards; improving ecological connectivity to enable species to migrate to more favourable areas as the climate changes; strengthening risk management linked to extreme events, in collaboration with local stakeholders and the sectors concerned (agriculture, urban planning, water).
Although non-binding, the document provides Member States and site managers with: a methodology for assessing the climate risks to protected habitats and species; recommendations for adjusting conservation objectives and management measures, based on regional climate projections; and case studies illustrating best practices.
Link to this document: https://aeur.eu/f/ld8 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)