Webinar: Nature conservation in a changing climate
Climate is changing. Shouldn’t nature conservation adapt and rise to the challenge? This new webinar series on climate change adaptation and protected area management aims to help protected area managers answer this question.
Setting the scene: Nature conservation in a changing climate
The goal of this session was to help participants understand and objectively frame the challenges that climate change adaptation represents for protected area managers. It was the first of a series of webinars dedicated to climate change, that EUROPARC is organising in the framework of the LIFE NaturAdapt project.
After an introductory presentation by Olivier de Sadeleer, the project manager of the LIFE NaturAdapt Project, two guest speakers – Jean-Baptiste Bosson from Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels Haute-Savoie and Olly Watts from RSPB – shared parts of their work and research, looking at climate change from different perspectives.
Watch the recording of the full webinar and download speaker’s presentations below:
Olivier de Sadeleer (EUROPARC Federation), shared the outcomes of NaturAdapt Survey and the role of protected areas on addressing climate change. Although the survey clearly showed that climate change adaptation is a priority for many protected areas, there are still deficiencies in terms of implementation and tools available to support protected area professionals.
Therefore, the NaturAdapt Project aims to turn climate change adaptation challenge into an opportunity to innovate for nature conservation and initiate a transition towards adaptive management of protected areas while laying the foundation for a dynamic collective learning process.
If you wish to know more about the project, a brief description is available here.
Download Olivier’s presentation
Climate change from the perspective of a glaciologist
Jean-Baptiste Bosson from Asters,Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels Haute-Savoie (FR), explained how particular is the current climate change in comparison with regular warming and cooling of the Earth at a geological timescale. He highlighted the unprecedented magnitude and velocity of the current changes, clarified the major consequences for glaciers, and related them to an overall impact on the global Earth ecosystems.
With the threat that by 2100 25%-50% will melt, Jean-Baptiste warned that humanity needs to have to act fast enough to curb greenhouse gas emissions and prevent ice melting. “Humanity is at an unprecedented point of history…either we reduce emissions and find a new equilibrium over the next centuries, or we will have a “hothouse earth” “.
Download Jean-Baptiste’s presentation
Migratory birds conservation in a changing climate
Dr Olly Watts from RSPB (UK) explained how changes in migratory birds patterns, trails and distribution are already being observed around the world. Olly gave some practical insights into the practical work RSPB is implementing: nature-based solutions for better resilience, adaptation and recovery needed in the face of climate change.
Planning at different time-scales (focused both on short and long term impacts), habitat heterogeneity, microhabitat management, land-use change, habitat connections, creation of marshalls to prevent coastal erosion, and innovative and flexible green infrastructure were some of the actions shared, that can be of good inspiration to other protected area managers.
Other resources on climate modelling:
As a follow up the climate modelling question, here are a number of references that could help you find your way in the different climate services:
Worldwide IPPC: http://www.ipcc-data.org/
Europe: Coppernicus : https://climate.copernicus.eu/
France National : DRIAS: Drias, www.drias-climat.fr
France regional: DREAL : One website by region
UK: UKCIP : https://www.ukcip.org.uk/projects/engaging-with-climate-services-providers/
England: Natural England publication
Spain: Adaptecca: https://www.adaptecca.es/
This was the 1st of a series of webinars dedicated to climate change, under the LIFE NaturAdapt project, funded by: 
