Air Quality Performance

Alan Collings

Developing UK indicators for the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020: climate change adaptation

Background

• Need to identify options for monitoring progress against Aichi Target 10: By 2015, the multiple anthropogenic pressures on coral reefs, and other vulnerable ecosystems impacted by climate change or ocean acidification are minimised, so as to maintain their integrity and functioning).

• Means identifying potential indicators of climate change adaptation ('adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities’; IPCC, 2007).

• EBSCCA Principles used as a ready means of identifying all existing UK biodiversity indicators addressing facets of climate change adaptation to determine if additional indicators advantageous.

June workshop

• Suggested need to:• Focus on planned rather than autonomous adaptation; latter already

addressed• Identify outcome-based rather than process-based indicators• Concentrate on Maintain and increase ecological resilience and

Accommodate change.

• Perceived potential indicators of ‘preparedness for climate change adaptation’:

• Water availability for biodiversity• Wildfire incidence• Change in silvicultural systems• Gains and losses in coastal habitats• Integration of climate change adaptation into protected areas and

landscape-scale projects• Policy and resourcing for ecosystem-based adaptation.

Potential options

• The only potential options suggested by subsequent research were:• Wildfire: number, area and causes on protected sites with habitats involved

deduced from protected site citations and wildfire reports. • Gains and losses of coastal habitats: records of projects, including priority

habitat creation where EA has spent > £1,000. • Impact of water availability on protected sites’ condition.

Other possible gaps

• Revisiting EBSCCA Principles suggests other gaps that might most readily be filled by outcome-based indicators relate to the following principles:

• Create buffer zones around high quality habitats: point and area data from agri-environment schemes

• Understand change is inevitable: data on changes in phenology and species abundance and distributions

• Integrate adaptation and mitigation measures: using a carbon-based indicator.

Questions

• Are there further suitable data sources not yet considered that would address issues relating to “preparedness for climate change adaptation” identified by the June workshop?

• Which gaps in the UK biodiversity indicator set, highlighted by the EBSCCA Principles, should be considered for development of potential indicator options?

• Are there other options? If so what data could support them? • Would it be appropriate to present the basket of existing and

proposed UK Biodiversity Indicators that already address EBSCCA principles as one option for monitoring progress against Aichi Target 10? If so, how should this be presented?

Richard SmithersPrincipal Consultant: Biodiversity & Ecosystem Services

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Tel: +44 (0)870 190 6726Mob: +44 (0)7968 707145E: Richard.Smithers@ricardo-aea.com W: http://www.ricardo-aea.com

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