| Author (Corporate) | European Commission: DG Environment |
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| Publisher | EU |
| Publication Date | 2010 |
| ISBN | 978-92-79-15719-6 |
| EC | KH-32-10-295-EN-C |
| Content Type | Report |
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Habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation have been by far the biggest drivers of terrestrial biodiversity loss at EU level over the past 50 years. This is a result of the massive expansion of urban zones and transport infrastructures, which have been cutting up Europe’s landscape. In addition, traditional land-use practices have been replaced by more intensive, mechanised and industrial-scale activities, especially in the agricultural and forestry sectors. This has weakened ecosystems, their functions and the biodiversity they support. It is essential to ensure that ecosystem functions are maintained in order to sustain crucial ecosystem services. As the Natura 2000 network of protected sites reaches completion, it is becoming increasingly important to ensure that the Natura 2000 network of sites is spatially and functional coherent. This represents a great conservation and policy challenge and a cornerstone of efforts to prevent the loss of biodiversity. However, further benefits can also be reaped from the development of and investment in ‘green infrastructure’ in the 83% of the EU territory falling outside the Natura 2000 network. Such an approach would call for the restoration of ecosystems, insofar as possible, to strengthen their resilience and sustain the key services they provide, while also achieving conservation objectives and enabling Member States to adapt to climate change. The Commission is promoting and supporting exchanges of best practice as a basis for an EU strategy on green infrastructure to be developed after 2010. Building a green infrastructure is one of Europe’s main contributions to reversing the trend of biodiversity loss and to linking and strengthening diverse ecosystems in urban and rural areas. The added value of green infrastructure, arises from its multifunctional use: it often ensures efficient and sustainable land use by integrating interacting functions or activities on the same piece of land. The spatial character of green infrastructure addresses both the issue of connectivity and the provision of ecosystem services (e.g. natural coastal protection through marshes/flood plain restoration; such climate change mitigation and adaptation measures are often more effective and cheaper than building dikes). Improving the functional and spatial connectivity of ecosystems – by tackling fragmentation, improving resilience and enhancing mitigation and adaptation to climate change – will strengthen Europe’s green infrastructure and, as a result, increase the value of the goods and services that its ecosystems provide. In the long term, such efforts will help safeguard and improve the habitats and conservation status of endangered species, and thus protect the EU’s rich biodiversity. LIFE Nature and, to a certain extent, LIFE Environment, have already made a contribution to developing Europe’s green infrastructure, mainly on a local or regional level. The challenge now is to assess the substantial knowledge acquired through LIFE-funded projects and to finalise the concept of the green infrastructure strategy. This strategy will aim to find ways to reduce landscape fragmentation, The good practices and innovative solutions introduced by LIFE projects – as highlighted in this brochure – are demonstrating how such a green infrastructure can be best supported and built up in the future. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/publications/lifepublications/lifefocus/documents/green_infra.pdf |
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| Subject Categories | Environment, Geography |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
