Green Infrastructure
With the Council of the EU endorsing the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020, the EU and its Member States are committed to maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services and restoring degraded ecosystems by incorporating a concept of Green Infrastructure in spatial planning.
Some Green Infrastructure concepts already exist at different scales, however there is no coherence and no commonly agreed approaches throughout Europe as to how to bring about the necessary results.
The establishment and maintenance of Green Infrastructure needs the engagement of land managers and users, such as farmers, foresters and hunters.
Within The Biodiversity Manifesto, FACE and its Members elaborated on Green Infrastructure with three action points. Hunters have knowledge on movements of wildlife and hence can advise on functional connectivity of landscape features (e.g. for planning green bridges and corridors) as well as on coordinated management schemes (e.g. through Game Management Units).
Hunters are often the only conservation and restoration force in ordinary landscapes (nonpriority habitats) such as in intensive agriculture (e.g. planting hedgerows and wild flower strips), where biodiversity friendly grant schemes are difficult to obtain. Green Infrastructure and hunters need to work with each other, not against each other.
Green infrastructure updates 2019: Updates on work by the European Commission
In 2019, the Commission published two guidance documents to help planners, policymakers and businesses solve socio-economic challenges, while also protecting and restoring Europe’s nature:
- The EU Guidance document on a strategic framework for further supporting the deployment of EU-level green and blue infrastructure SWD(2019) 193 final encourages a more strategic and integrated approach to scaling-up investments in EU-level GI projects. The aim is to improve the connectivity of Natura 2000 areas while also increasing the range and flow of multiple ecosystem services. The guidance document also provides information on existing funding sources. The accompanying Joint Science for Policy Report by the JRC, EEA, ETC on Urban, Land and Soil Systems, and DG Environment presents Geospatial methods, data and tools to support strategic green infrastructure and ecosystem restoration.
- The EU Guidance document on integrating ecosystems and their services in decision-making highlights the wide range of benefits that flow from nature to people, and possible ways to take better account of these benefits in policy, planning and business investment decisions: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
The new guidance document is complemented by an overview and progress report of Natural Capital Accounting in the European Union (May 2019).
JOINT SUBMISSION ON CONSULTATION ON POLICY OPTIONS FOR THE BLUEPRINT TO SAFEGUARD EUROPE’S WATERS (7 June 2012) [ EN ]
FACE STATEMENT ON GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE (12 October 2012) [ EN ]
BIODIVERSITY MANIFESTO WEBSITE
See how hunting benefits conservation and share your project! - www.biodiversitymanifesto.com
