Infra Eco Network Europe: networking for greener linear infrastructure

Miklós Puky MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research

Institute

- Marita Böttcher - Lazaros Georgiadis -Carme Rosell - Erland Røsten - Tony Sangwine - Andreas Seiler - Anders

Sjölund - Elke Spindler (The IENE Steering Committee)

Instead…

INTRODUCTION2010 target: halt the loss of biodiversity

Röckström et al. 2009, Nature

Loss of mean species abundanceif business as usual to 2050.

Yellow: loss doe to infrastructure

enchroachment and fragmentation:1. Direct Infrastructure effects.

2. Indirect effects of infrastructurethrough new exploitation

3. Fragmentation by roads and land-use change.

From: OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050. The consequences of inaction.International organisation helping governments tackle the economic, social and governance challenges of a globalised economy. At present 45 member states including 21 EU countries, Australia, Canada and the USA.

Infrastructure have a crucial impact in the future development of biodiversity

Remaining Biodiversity expressed as Mean Species abundance (MSA)

New roads, railways, urban sprawl… make the situation worse, step by step

Need to be compensated to avoid ”net loss” in biodiversity

Mitigation measures and other adaptations to biodiversity

New infrastructurewill have negative impact on biodiversity

Biodiversityat a certain time

The the situation issteadily growing worse

A stairway to hell!

The trend must be changed.

Compensation

Avoid, Adapt, Mitigate

Improvements Strengthen connectivitycreate new habitatsetc.

A new perspective is necessary

From the concept of

today:Minimize negative impact

To a newconcept:Improve

biodiversity

IENE – Infra Eco Network EuropeFormalised network of experts working with various aspects of transportation, infrastructure and ecology (since 1996)

Mainly (but not exclusively) European institutes, authorities and individual experts

Non-profit, non-governmental, non-political

Providing an independent, international and interdisciplinary arena to encourage and enable cross-boundary cooperation in research, mitigation and planning

Addressing decision makers, planners and researchers as well as the public

IENE: from 1996 to 2003

Launched inBrussels 2003

IENE: from 2003 to 2009

IENE hibernation

Re-start workshop

In 2008 Nyíregyháza, Hungaryhttp://www.varangy.hu/category/image-galleries/restartiene

The ”New” IENE was formally re-established at the Evora meeting in April 2009

And it was finally decided to:

Arrange an International conference in 2010,in Hungary within just a year!

2009

2010IENE 2010 International Conference, Hungary

2012IENE 2012 International Conference,

Germany

From Hibernation to arranginginternational conferenceswithin practicaly no time

2014 IENE 2014 International Conference,Sweden

IENE: since 2009

IENE members

• IENE today:•• >200 registered

members

• from 44 countries

• and 41 organizations

Conservation approaches towards linear infrastructure

Gradual change from focus on fauna passages and technical specifications toMortality and wildlife collisionsCost effectivenessDeveloping maintenance to contribute to biodiversity, ie Creating suitable habitats and connecitivityProcurements describing expected functions rather than technical solutions

Germany:

•Network of German Habitat Corridors

•German Defragmentation Programme

•Ratified in February 2012

•93 priority areas for defragmentation measures

Defragmentation ProgrammesNetherlands:

•Dutch National Ecological Network

•Long Term Defragmentation Programme

•Ministry for Transportation and Ministry for Environment

•2005 - 2018

•215 conflict points, 602 measures

IENE Special focus 2013: Carpathians

Aim of IENE in the region: as elsewhere, the promotion sustainable transport infrastructure focussing specifically on conservation needs on the basis of the avoidance – mitigation – compensation principle

Aim of IENE in the region: as elsewhere, the promotion sustainable transport infrastructure focussing specifically on conservation needs on the basis of the avoidance – mitigation – compensation principle

As a realistic organisation lots of mitigation measures are proposed.

Aim of IENE in the region: as elsewhere, the promotion sustainable transport infrastructure focussing specifically on conservation needs on the basis of the avoidance – mitigation – compensation principle

As a realistic organisation lots of mitigation measures are proposed

So was a main aim of the of the Lugos meeting.

Focal points of activity

Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T)

[http://tentea.ec.europa.eu/images/maps/progress_report_may2010ongoing_projects_20100527_big.jpg]

Aim of the meeting: to discuss the status of the Déva – Lugos motorway stretch

Date: 23-25. 05. 2013Locality: Lugos (Arad was cancelled due to

logistic reasons)Country representations: seven countries in total

(all EU), (Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom) , 40 people in total

Participation of IENE SC: three members including its chair

Problem: the would-be motorway crosses a wildlife corridor of European importance

inadequate environmental assessment, lack of mitigation measures caused the halt of building the Lugos - Déva stretch,

works are already in progress along the Nagylak – Lugos section

Problem: the would be motorway crosses a wildlife corridor of European importance

inadequate environmental assessment, lack of mitigation measures caused the halt of building the Lugos - Déva stretch,

works are in progress along the Nagylak – Lugos section

charismatic megavertebrates (e.g. 250 brown bears north to the proposed route),

Problem: the would be motorway crosses a wildlife corridor of European importance

inadequate environmental assessment, lack of mitigation measures caused the halt of building the Lugos - Déva stretch,

works are in progress along the Nagylak – Lugos section

charismatic megavertebrates (e.g. 250 brown bears north to the proposed route),

even more important the habitats they live in

Comparative value of European river catchments based on their fish fauna

Focal points of activity

Vonalas létesítmények és élővilág: kapcsolatok, megoldások, monitoring

Vonalas létesítmények IENE MűhelytalálkozóBudapest, 2013. V. 29.

Fotó: dr. Puky Miklós

Hungarian – Serbian Workshop on 29th May

Aim of the meeting: to give an overview on the state of the art in Hungary with

valuable insight into Serbia Date: 29. 05. 2013Locality: BudapestCountry representations: two countries in total,

nearly 100 participants

Participation of IENE SC: one member

Focal points of activity

Aim of the meeting: overview of the state of the art in Europe with special

emphasis on the Carpathian Region

Date: 16-18. 10. 2013Locality: LuhacoviceCountry representations: at least thirteen

countries in total (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine), 80 people in total

Participation of IENE SC: three members

What else, where else?

Aim of the meeting: to give an overview on the state of the art in the Iberian

Peninsula Date: 14-15. 11. 2013Locality: Extramadura, SpainCountry representations: at least four but still

early to say

Participation of IENE SC: two members

Support related activities (green infrastructure, training,

education), recognition by project awards, also in the region

2012: Alpen – Karpaten Korridor Slovak – Austrian initiative to connect the

Alps and the Carpathians

Green bridges in Göttelsbrunn and Moravsky Ján, workshops, trainings, etc.

GREENER TRANSPORT

LIFE INFO + PROPOSAL

Preparatory actionsUpdating background information about impacts and mitigation measures Info-web-tool about fauna passagesEuropean Roadkill Observatory System

Communication actions / awareness raising campaignsIENE 2014 International Conference, SwedenIENE 2016 International ConferenceEuropean Drawing Contest for childrenPublic educationGreener Infrastructure Guide-Toolkit

IENE plan to (Through a LIFE info project, partly financed by the European Union, if accepted)

Training activitiesScientific Workshop in Hungary - 2015, 2017 Scientific Workshop in Spain - 2015 Scientific Workshop in Sweden - 2016, 2017

Monitoring of the impact on the target audiences and on the environmental problem targeted

Questionnaires Monitoring of participants and members

Communication and dissemination of the project and its results Communication with the media Online Communication Information posters and leaflets

The social dimension

Jobs (creation, maintenance, monitoring)Higher quality ecosystem services through

improved habitat connectivity Social structure improvement (stronger

connection among local people)Research: professional coupled with citizen

science (e.g. in monitoring)

We are developing together…

Thank you!