– The objective is to analyze the risks of climate change and design a program of adaptation measures based on a methodology developed for this purpose within the framework of the project.
– These are the Canal de Menorca, Marismas de Odiel, Islas Atlánticas de Galicia, Playas de Sotavento de Jandía and the Alborán Marine Area.
– This initiative is carried out in collaboration with the Spanish Office for Climate Change of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, through the PIMA-Adapta plan.
The LIFE INTEMARES project, coordinated by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, has launched a demonstration experience to design a program of measures for adaptation to climate change in five marine protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network. This initiative, developed in collaboration with the Spanish Climate Change Office of MITECO, through the PIMA-Adapta plan, will be carried out in the Canal de Menorca, Marismas de Odiel, Islas Atlánticas de Galicia, Playas de Sotavento de Jandía and the Alborán Marine Area. It is supported by Hidria and ICatalist.
Within this framework, a risk analysiswill be carried out to identify those habitats, species and vulnerable areasthat require the implementation of adaptation measures. For this purpose, the methodology for risk analysis of the protected areas of the Natura 2000 Network in the face of climate change developed by LIFE INTEMARES will be applied. It is a tool to guide managers in assessing the risk associated with climate change in marine protected areas, adapting it to the needs and characteristics of each protected area.
ADAPTATION MEASURES IN MANAGEMENT PLANS
The application of this methodology will facilitate the design of climate change adaptation measures to be incorporated into the management plans of the protected marine area and their implementation. These measures will avoid or reduce the identified risk to the most threatened ecological values, acting on the threat, exposure and vulnerability and increasing the resilience of ecosystems and society.
Social participation is one of the backbones of the initiative. Therefore, work will be carried out in collaboration with key stakeholders, entities and sectors of each marine protected area, including administrations, the scientific community, NGOs and the local population, among others, in order to obtain relevant information as a starting point for the risk analysis of the area and the joint design of adaptation measures. For this purpose, during the participatory process, different actions such as interviews and workshops will be carried out.
This initiative responds to the new needs set by current legislation and public policies related to climate change and adaptation, such as the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law and the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PNACC) 2021-2030.
Protected areas are also key scenarios for researching, raising awareness and communicating to society about the effects of climate change, as they include an extensive and diverse representation of ecosystems and associated resources for their management. They are, therefore, advantageous places to implement adaptation measures and transfer what has been learned to other territories.
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF PROTECTED AREAS
The LIFE INTEMARES project is moving towards the objective of achieving effective management of the marine areas of the Natura 2000 Network, with the active participation of the sectors involved and with research as the basic tools.
The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge coordinates the project. Participating as partners are the Ministry itself, through the General Directorate of Biodiversity, Forests and Desertification and the Subdirectorate for the Protection of the Sea; the Regional Government of Andalusia, through the Department of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy, as well as the Environment and Water Agency; the Spanish Institute of Oceanography; AZTI; the University of Alicante; the Polytechnic University of Valencia; the Spanish Fishing Confederation, SEO/BirdLife and WWF Spain. It is supported by the LIFE Program of the European Union.
