Download climate change adaptation Background

Developing
UK indicators for the Strategic Plan for
Air Quality Performance
Biodiversity 2011-2020: climate change adaptation
Alan Collings
Background
• Need to identify options for monitoring progress against Aichi Target
10: By 2015, the multiple anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs,
and other vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change or
ocean acidification are minimised, so as to maintain their integrity
and functioning).
• Means identifying potential indicators of climate change adaptation
('adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or
expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or
exploits beneficial opportunities’; IPCC, 2007).
• EBSCCA Principles used as a ready means of identifying all existing
UK biodiversity indicators addressing facets of climate change
adaptation to determine if additional indicators advantageous.
June workshop
• Suggested need to:
• Focus on planned rather than autonomous adaptation; latter already
addressed
• Identify outcome-based rather than process-based indicators
• Concentrate on Maintain and increase ecological resilience and
Accommodate change.
• Perceived potential indicators of ‘preparedness for climate change
adaptation’:
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Water availability for biodiversity
Wildfire incidence
Change in silvicultural systems
Gains and losses in coastal habitats
Integration of climate change adaptation into protected areas and
landscape-scale projects
• Policy and resourcing for ecosystem-based adaptation.
Potential options
• The only potential options suggested by subsequent research were:
• Wildfire: number, area and causes on protected sites with habitats involved
deduced from protected site citations and wildfire reports.
• Gains and losses of coastal habitats: records of projects, including priority
habitat creation where EA has spent > £1,000.
• Impact of water availability on protected sites’ condition.
Other possible gaps
• Revisiting EBSCCA Principles suggests other gaps that might most
readily be filled by outcome-based indicators relate to the following
principles:
• Create buffer zones around high quality habitats: point and area data from
agri-environment schemes
• Understand change is inevitable: data on changes in phenology and
species abundance and distributions
• Integrate adaptation and mitigation measures: using a carbon-based
indicator.
Questions
• Are there further suitable data sources not yet considered that would
address issues relating to “preparedness for climate change
adaptation” identified by the June workshop?
• Which gaps in the UK biodiversity indicator set, highlighted by the
EBSCCA Principles, should be considered for development of
potential indicator options?
• Are there other options? If so what data could support them?
• Would it be appropriate to present the basket of existing and
proposed UK Biodiversity Indicators that already address EBSCCA
principles as one option for monitoring progress against Aichi Target
10? If so, how should this be presented?
Richard Smithers
Principal Consultant: Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services
Ricardo-AEA
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