EU technical workshop on Target 2-related knowledge base and spatial and technical data on GI and restoration

The EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy requires in its Target 2 that 'by 2020, ecosystems and their services are maintained and enhanced by establishing green infrastructure and restoring at least 15% of degraded ecosystems'.

Context

The achievement of Target 2 is underpinned by some important actions:

1. The EU initiative on Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES) which aims to reinforce the knowledge base - including the valuation of the benefits that nature provides to human society - and to set a baseline against which progress related to green infrastructure (GI) and restoration can be measured
2. The set-up of Restoration Prioritization Frameworks (RPF), which should support the prioritization of restoration in the context of GI deployment.

In 2013, the EU adopted a Green Infrastructure (GI) Strategy^[1], which seeks to set up a physical and functional transboundary network of green infrastructure able to ensure the long-term delivery of essential ecosystem services throughout Europe. Pursuant to this Strategy, GI is defined as "a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services. It incorporates green spaces (or blue if aquatic ecosystems are concerned) and other physical features in terrestrial (including coastal) and marine areas. On land, GI is present in rural and urban settings."

The Strategy further calls for assessing the opportunities of developing an EU Trans-European Network for Green Infrastructure (a so-called TEN-G), which could act as an important catalyst for further promoting GI at European, national, regional and local levels and boosting the integration of GI in policy.

The development of a coherent and coordinated approach across the different spatial scales (local, regional, national, European) for the mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services, and for the development of natural capital accounts, will help setting up such a strategically planned network. A better understanding of the links between ecosystems, their condition, ecosystem services and biodiversity, the value of the ecosystem services they provide, etc. can also serve to better inform the prioritisation of restoration and GI intervention/investments.

The Natura 2000 network is a central part of the European Green Infrastructure as it harbours many of Europe’s remaining healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, and provides a legal and organisational framework which can contribute to long-term efficiency and cost-effectiveness of investments in Green Infrastructure. Green Infrastructure and TEN-G can also conversely contribute to achieving the objectives the Habitats Directive (and e.g. its Article 10) of by ensuring the ecological coherence of the Natura 2000 network and avoiding that the Natura 2000 sites become isolated ‘islands of nature’.

In conclusion, quality, comprehensive and usable spatial data are required to support the objectives of restoring 15% of degraded ecosystems, of further deploying green infrastructure at regional, national and European levels, and with a view to contribute to the setting-up of a Trans-European Network for Green Infrastructure. In this regard, the GI Strategy calls for a review of the "extent and quality of spatial and technical data available for decision-makers in relation to GI deployment".

 Objectives

Against that background, this workshop intends, through concrete examples from Member States of mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services, and more specifically of spatial and functional parameters relevant for restoration and Green infrastructure; to share available knowledge, data and tools, and address the linkages between MS and EU levels, in order to progress towards a common understanding of the usability of existing methodologies for mapping and assessing ecosystems and services to support ecosystem restoration and GI objectives in Europe.

Some of the obstacles and difficulties related to GI and restoration-related data collection and methodologies, including the scale issue, will be addressed, and possible ways forward explored.   

The outcome of the discussions should feed into the development of a methodological guidance for informing policy decisions.

Outcomes & deliverables

• Better understanding and interoperability of available mapping and assessment tools to support restoration and GI objectives, at both MS and EU levels.
• Better understanding of how spatially explicit mapping and assessment methods can be used to support the restoration of degraded ecosystems  the deployment of GI and the completion and management of the N2000 network through improving ecosystem condition and the long-term delivery of ecosystem services. Spatially explicit methods, including biophysical mapping and assessment, valuation, and accounting, can assist Member States and local agencies in identifying potential areas for conservation and restoration and setting priority areas for GI and restoration. This can also help developing options for establishing TEN-G.
• Improved knowledge on existing green infrastructure deployment and restoration projects in EU Members States, through the collection of best practices to be compiled in a BISE GI dedicated section.
• Better identification of possible gaps in data collection, assessment and methodologies.
• Development of a methodological guidance for informing policy decisions, based on input from EEA and JRC on EU level mapping and assessment approaches, which could be complemented with MS contributions, and lead to a joint ENV-EEA-JRC/MAES report on 'Informing strategic green infrastructure planning in Europe through mapping and assessment methods and lessons learned from Member States', as requested under the GI Strategy.
• Feeding material for the EU Green Infrastructure Implementation and Restoration (GIIR) Working Group and contribution to the final evaluation of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020.

Expected participants

Experts on spatial planning; experts on mapping and assessment of ecosystems and their services; data users; academics; practitioners; policy/decision makers.

EU and Commission experts and officials (e.g. EEA/ETCs, JRC, DG ENV, RTD, MOVE, REGIO, CLIMA, ECHO, AGRI, MARE)

Relevant background references and publications

Green infrastructure and territorial cohesion

Spatial analysis of green infrastructure in Europe

Exploring nature-based solutions - the role of green infrastructure in mitigating the impacts of weather- and climate change-related natural hazards

Mapping and assessing the condition of Europe's ecosystems: progress and challenges