Strategic Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Restoration

This Science for Policy report was prepared by the Joint Research Centre, the European Environment Agency, the European Topic Centre on Urban, Land and Soil Systems, and DG Environment. It was published in 2019. It aims to provide methodological guidance for the strategic design of well-connected, multi-functional and cross-border green infrastructure in order to support strategic policy- and decision making. Physical and ecosystem based mapping approaches and respective best-practice case-studies are presented as well as knowledge gaps, obstacles and problems regarding data collection and methodologies.

All case studies contained in the report provide information on tools available for physical mapping of green infrastructure as well as ecosystem service based mapping approaches. Three of the presented case-studies are directly related to climate change adaptation:

• A protected network suited to adapting to climate change: the need for a dynamic network resilient to change for green infrastructure and where to prioritise conservation measures. This case study investigates the suitability of the Natura 2000 sites for the Spanish juniper (Juniperus thurifera) to adapt to climate change, e.g. whether the network is connected enough and where the connectivity needs to be enhanced or new sites created.
• Urban sprawl and subsequent loss of green infrastructure based on land use and climate change policy scenarios for the coming decades. This case study assesses land use and climate change policy scenarios regarding their potential to limit urban sprawl. Baseline scenarios as well as hypothetical policy alternatives are simulated.
• Green infrastructure for climate proofing, the case of Donostian-San Sebastian, Spain. In this case study high priority areas for action regarding flooding and heat stress were identified in the city Donostia-San Sebastian. Since the city wants to implement measures to counteract climate change effects (e.g. increased amount of severe storms, river flooding, heat waves) the results should serve as input information to the city`s climate change adaptation plan.