How to plan for nature
Lecture notes
#2: Getting to grips with policy
and decision-making
These lecture notes are one of the six modules training course “How to
plan for Nature”. Together with the accompanying power point
presentations they enable the trainer to prepare and give lectures. The
lectures are the introduction to the training which further consists of an
excursion and exercises in working groups. All materials can be
downloaded from the project website www.biodiversityskills.eu
Nr slide
Lecturer instructions
1
Introduce yourself. Briefly describe the aim of the presentation and how you
want to present it (e.g. allowing questions during or after the presentation;
making people at ease about language if the presentation is not in
your/their native language; will they get the PowerPoint and information or
do they need to make notes).
Background information
Getting to grips with policy and
decision-making
Provide a brief summary of the content of the presentation:
3
Photo of woman’s hat with egret
feathers and/or terns
You introduce the theme of policy development by briefly mentioning the
very first steps in awareness raising.
The image illustrates a 19th century fashion to
wear egret feathers or entire stuffed terns on
hats. For this purpose animals had to be killed.
This was not accepted by a number of (rich)
women who sparked the initiation of early bird
protection. The first national nature
conservation societies were formed end 19th
century.
4
Photo of Drachenfels
You make the link between conservation and spatial planning by referring to
protected areas as a key planning tool for conservation. The reserve on the
picture is supposed to be the 1st European nature reserve.
Although examples from early Chinese
dynasties exist, the Drachenfels reserve in
Germany is understood to be the first nature
reserve in Europe. Since its establishment in
1836 a wide range of protected areas have
been created and numbers and area protected
have increased ever since. Until today area
protection is regarded as an essential
2
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Handbook chapter 2
A brief history of nature conservation
Who are the main actors internationally
Which are the key international policy instruments
Integration of biodiversity into other sectoral policies
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making
conservation tool.
5
Cover of Silent Spring
Here you make the next major step in environmental awareness raising,
referring to large scale environmental pollution in the 1960s which started
to attract mass media attention and mobilize the wider public. The book
‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson represents a milestone in this awareness
raising process. It focuses on the effects of pesticides on water and air
quality and on wild species.
6
Table with major international
biodiversity treaties
This table is only meant to illustrate that a lot of international treaties have
been agreed since the early 1970s, in response to the growing awareness of
environmental pollution, biodiversity decline and the need for international
action. You can ask the audience, before showing this slide, which global
treaties that they have heard of. The listed treaties are the major ones.
When also considering specific treaties or those that cover only a few
countries, the list reaches almost 200.
7
Photo
You describe some of the general trends in policymaking for biodiversity,
that may be of relevance to planners and that give some insight into the
dynamics of policy. It also shows the interconnectedness between topics
and scales. You introduce each of the elements that are listed to the right
one by one with each time a new slide (see details per element below), or
you show one slide while listing and elaborating on the items.
Chapter 2 gives a brief description of a number
of the listed treaties. Refer to the handbook for
more details.
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8
Photo
See above and to the right
From species protection to
area/ecosystem protection;
From nature to biodiversity;
The advent of ecosystem services;
From segregation to integration into
sectors; Sustainable development;
From protection to restoration;
From up scaling to downscaling.
From species protection to area/ecosystem
protection: originally the focus of international
conservation was on species (e.g. whales,
elephants, birds). Gradually this focus moved to
areas or specific ecosystems/habitats (e.g.
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making
wetlands).
Photo
See above and to the right
From nature to biodiversity: until the 1980s
international treaties focused on nature in the
narrow sense (species and habitats). With the
agreement of the 1992 Rio Convention on
Biological Diversity more emphasis is put on
biodiversity, which includes nature but is wider
in covering also genetic diversity, urban and
agricultural diversity, the link with people (food,
gardens, …), and the connections between
genes, species and ecosystems.
10 Photo
See above and to the right
The advent of ecosystem services: a further
widening of the scope of biodiversity to make
the connection to the services and biodiversity
and ecosystems provide to human well-being
has mainly reached the international policy
since the new millennium. The Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment has helped a great deal
in this respect. Ecosystem services may provide
a more utilitarian and anthropocentric
approach to nature, but they help in
communicating to wider audiences too.
11 Photo
See above and to the right
From segregation to integration into sectors: in
connection to the previous trends one can
observe a trend from a sectorial approach
(nature conservation per se) to an integration of
conservation objectives into other socioeconomic sectors. This integration is usually
9
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making
framed by the term sustainable development.
12 Photo
See above and to the right
From protection to restoration: a relatively
recent trend in main policy development is the
move towards a more proactive approach of
restoring degraded ecosystems. Based on the
recognition that much damage has been done
by people (see lecture 1) there is a shift towards
restoration, reintroduction of species,
supporting natural processes and even the
‘creation’ of wilderness areas.
13 Photo
See above and to the right
From up scaling to downscaling: this trend
relates to governance of biodiversity. It refers to
the original upscaling of conservation actions,
where the initiative in the first half of the 20th
century often came from local concerned
groups in society. This concern gradually moved
up to higher levels of national and international
policymaking, culminating in the global
Convention on Biological Diversity. With enough
being agreed and the general recognition that
policies need to be implemented, a downscaling
trend is observed since a decade or so, in which
local and regional authorities, with citizen
groups and other local stakeholders, receive a
leading role to implement what has
internationally been agreed.
14 EU biodiversity policy
Now you zoom into the level of the EU, since this is of most direct relevance
to the country you’re giving the presentation at. This slide simply lists the
See chapter 2 and
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/index
-
Birds Directive 1979
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making
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Habitats Directive 1992
Natura 2000
EU Biodiversity Strategy
2011
Integration into other
policies (agriculture,
fisheries, forestry, ...)
key biodiversity policy instruments at the EU that are currently in effect.
_en.htm
15 Photo
Now you zoom in a bit more by focusing on one specific policy instrument:
the EU 2020 biodiversity strategy. The reason for this is that until 2020 this
provides the main framework for biodiversity action for all EU MS. You
introduce the strategy and in the next slides introduce the 6 targets one by
one.
Published in 2011, this strategy follows the
global biodiversity strategy in the framework of
the CBD. Its title ‘Our life insurance, our natural
capital: an EU biodiversity strategy to 2020’
stresses the link between biodiversity,
ecosystem services and economy. It focuses on
a key headline target ‘Halting the loss of
biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem
services in the EU by 2020, and restoring them
in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU
contribution to averting global biodiversity loss’
which in itself is embedded in a vision for 2050.
The headline target is supported by 6 specific
targets, which in themselves are underpinned
by 20 actions.
16 Full implementation of EU nature
legislation to protect biodiversity
This target focuses on the 2 main pieces of legislation, the Birds and the
Habitats Directives and the associated Natura 2000. It aims at speeding up
the implementation of these directives and includes specific targets for
conservation status of both species and habitats.
The full text of the target is: To halt the
deterioration in the status of all species and
habitats covered by EU nature legislation and
achieve a significant and measurable
improvement in their status so that, by 2020,
compared to current assessments: (i) 100%
more habitat assessments and 50% more
-
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making
species assessments under the Habitats
Directive show an improved conservation
status; and (ii) 50% more species assessments
under the Birds Directive show a secure or
improved status.
17 Better protection for ecosystems,
and more use of green
infrastructure
This target focuses on ecosystem services, the link to economy, and the
potential of restoration and the role of green infrastructure.
The full text of the target is: By 2020,
ecosystems and their services are maintained
and enhanced by establishing green
infrastructure and restoring at least 15 % of
degraded ecosystems.
18 More sustainable agriculture and
forestry
The aim of this target is for the agricultural and forestry sectors to take up
their responsibility and more effectively integrate biodiversity concerns into
their sectors and policy.
The full text of the target is: A) Agriculture: By
2020, maximise areas under agriculture across
grasslands, arable land and permanent crops
that are covered by biodiversity-related
measures under the CAP so as to ensure the
conservation of biodiversity and to bring about
a measurable improvement(*) in the
conservation status of species and habitats that
depend on or are affected by agriculture and in
the provision of ecosystem services as
compared to the EU2010 Baseline, thus
contributing to enhance sustainable
management.
B) Forests: By 2020, Forest Management Plans
or equivalent instruments, in line with
Sustainable Forest Management (SFM)21, are in
place for all forests that are publicly owned and
for forest holdings above a certain size** (to be
defined by the Member States or regions and
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making
communicated in their Rural Development
Programmes) that receive funding under the EU
Rural Development Policy so as to bring about a
measurable improvement(*) in the
conservation status of species and habitats that
depend on or are affected by forestry and in the
provision of related ecosystem services as
compared to the EU 2010 Baseline.
19 Better management of fish stocks
The aim of this target is for the fisheries sector to take up its responsibility
and more effectively integrate biodiversity concerns into the sector and
policy.
The full text of the target is: Fisheries: Achieve
Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY)22 by 2015.
Achieve a population age and size distribution
indicative of a healthy stock, through fisheries
management with no significant adverse
impacts on other stocks, species and
ecosystems, in support of achieving Good
Environmental Status by 2020, as required
under the Marine Strategy Framework
Directive.
20 Tighter controls on invasive alien
species
This target focuses on the specific threat posed by invasive alien species.
The full text of the target is: By 2020, Invasive
Alien Species and their pathways are identified
and prioritised, priority species are controlled
or eradicated, and pathways are managed to
prevent the introduction and establishment of
new IAS.
21 A bigger EU contribution to
averting global biodiversity loss
This target reflects the recognition that the EU has a substantial impact on
global biodiversity through consumption and production processes
(ecological footprint) and the EU is dependent on much of the globe’s
biodiversity.
The full text of the target is: By 2020, the EU has
stepped up its contribution to averting global
biodiversity loss.
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making
22 A number of buzzwords
This slide is to reflect a number of current hot topics in international
biodiversity-related policy. These can be amended according to recent
developments or national priorities. They provide an additional hook to
connect to planning.
23 Photo
Now you make the connection between international policy and how this
relates to spatial planning. You provide a number of examples in the next
few slides.
24 Graph
You introduce the theme of area protection as a key spatial measure to
conserve nature. You can refer to the different types of protected areas, the
internationally agreed categories, the level of protection, zonation within
and around protected areas. The graph on the slide shows the growth in
nationally designated protected areas 1911-2011.
http://www.bipindicators.net/language/enus/pacoverage
An extension of protected areas started to be established as from the 1970s,
based on the need for connectivity between populations for them to
survive. Elements of ecological networks are key components in spatial
planning at any scale. More recently, these have been framed in the green
infrastructure policy, which includes green-blue veining in urban, industrial
and agricultural areas.
Key elements of ecological networks are:
25 Ecological network scheme
IUCN Protected Area Management Categories:
http://www.iucn.org/about/work/programmes/
pa/pa_products/wcpa_categories/
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Core areas (usually protected areas
such as Natura 2000 sites);
Buffer zones (to reduce impacts from
external sources);
Corridors (often linear elements in the
landscape that connect one core area
with another);
Stepping stones (non-connected natural
areas that provide essential
components for species to be able to
move from one protected areas to the
next (e.g. for migratory birds).
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making
These elements can be designed at any scale,
from local neighbourhood to intercontinental
networks.
26 Photo of urban greening (or a
collage of possibilities)
Before showing this slide you introduce this topic by asking the audience to
list measures that can be applied to green the urban environment, in
particular to the benefit of biodiversity. This will probably yield enough
elements for them to understand what planners can do in this respect. You
can highlight the benefits of biodiversity for urban citizens (e.g. climate
mitigation, air purification, leisure areas, human health).
Examples include:
27 Photo of landscape features in
farmland
You can repeat the above exercise for farmland. You can introduce the
benefits of biodiversity in a multifunctional landscape (e.g. recreation, water
purification, water retention).
Examples include:
28 Photo of restoration
A particular role for spatial planning is in restoration activities, designing
areas where nature can be restored.
29 Photo
As a conclusion you can draw special attention to the potential of using the
concept of ecosystem services in making trade-offs between land use types.
Increasingly an economic of other value can be attached to individual
ecosystems/land cover types which help in deciding the best options for
spatial planning of multiple functions.
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Green roofs and walls;
Biodiversity gardens;
Ecological road verges;
Ecological city parks;
Urban farming;
Ecological restoration of brown fields;
…
Flower-rich field margins;
Hedgerows, tree rows;
Meandering brooks and rivers;
Ponds;
Woodland patches;
…
How to plan for Nature – Lecture Notes #2: Getting to grips with policy & decision-making