BRANCH - Biodiversity Requires Adaptations in North West Europe under a Changing Climate
Climate change is an environmental factor which already influences the wildlife of NW Europe. Sea level rise is affecting the coastal countries of NW Europe and is leading to unprecedented rates and of change to our coastal landscape and wildlife.
Climate change and wildlife response will continue to happen for at least another generation, even if we take all possible life-style, economic and political measures to stop fuelling the change. Our need is to understand and predict the response of our wildlife, and to manage this response in such a way that ensures we provide for a future wildlife which is no less rich than that which we inherited.
BRANCH is a three year multi-partner, multi-project programme aiming to identify, develop and advocate spatial planning mechanisms to allow for the adaptation of both terrestrial and coastal biodiversity habitats to changing climate in NW Europe.
BRANCH will provide the evidence and recommendation to support policy and planning at all scales in NW Europe by taking further the science underpinning how our wildlife is likely to respond to the changes. this information will provide an analysis of the risks and benefits of planning options for responding to change in terrestrial and coastal habitats and developing good practice at nature reserves.
English Nature is the lead partner in this project bringing together partners in South East England, the Netherlands, Germany and France.
Update: September 2007
The BRANCH project has just had its final stakeholder conference, at which the Final Report was launched. Copies of this can be downloaded below. The project concluded that biodiversity must adapt to climate change, but for many species and habitats this will be difficult because the landscape across Europe is fragmented and past decisions limit the opportunities for adaptation. Spatial planners must act now to create a landscape and coastline that can withstand the effects of climate change and BRANCH provides guidance and evidence for action.
Project Downloads
- Planning for biodiversity as climate changes - Branch final project report (September 2007)
- Press release: Europe's fragmented landscapes need rebuilding say researchers 20th September 2007
Links
Funders
- English Nature
- Provincie Limburg/VROM
- Alterra. The Netherlands
- Clare County Council
- NUI Maynooth
- Conservatoire du Littoral
- Environment Agency
- Hampshire CC
- Kent CC
- Tyndall Centre
- Environmental Change Institute