Climate Change and the vulnerability of the Bern Convention species and habitats

Description

This report has been prepared for the ‘Group of Experts on Biodiversity and Climate Change’ of the Bern Convention. It provides evidence from studies showing how Bern Convention species and habitats have responded to past climatic changes and discusses how they may be affected by projected climatic change. It finishes with an outline of the potential responses including mitigation and adaptation.

This review examines both the direct and indirect impacts of climate change on biodiversity (focusing on the Bern Convention's species and habitats) at the global, European, EU and country level and identifies the most vulnerable species and habitats in the context of climate change, based on both the direct impacts of climate change and the adaptation and mitigation measures taken to combat climate change. The report also builds on the previous report to the Standing Committee which provides more detail on past, present and future changes, and adaptation possibilities.

Most of the very limited evidence for the potential impacts of climate change on Bern Convention species and habitats is inferential and based on monitoring and observations of responses to current climate change, expert knowledge and modelled projections. Nevertheless, using the components of vulnerability (exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) it is possible to start to build up a picture of their vulnerability, but this information base needs to be developed, as the nature of the threatened status of many suggests that climate change will only compound the situation.

Reference information