BD-R-1: Consideration of climate change in landscape programmes

The picture shows a plan with different coloured plan symbols and two pens lying on it. Click to enlarge
Landscape planning can prepare adaptation measures to protect biodiversity.
Source: Photograph: © darknightsky / stock.adobe.com

2019 Monitoring Report on the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change

Table of Contents

 

BD-R-1: Consideration of climate change in landscape programmes and landscape framework plans

Landscape programmes and landscape framework plans provide a platform for tangible objectives and principles of nature conservation and landscape conservation at the level of individual states and regions. Climate change impacts and the resulting challenges for the protection of biotopes and species are increasingly incorporated in planning. However, the majority of plans still show a lack of tangible statements including objectives or measures relating to climate change.

Consideration categories regarding climate change in landscape programmes and landscape framework plans:

1   Areas of land relevant to climate change (with storage or sink function for carbon) are mentioned in connection with nature conservation issues.

2   Impacts of climate change on biodiversity are described.

3a Individual nature conservation objectives and measures are based on reasons of climate change.

3b Individual nature conservation objectives and measures are based exclusively or mostly on reasons of climate change.

The bar chart shows the consideration of climate change in landscape programmes and landscape framework plans as a percentage of the evaluated plans. The evaluation of the landscape framework plans and landscape programmes was carried out for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2017 at the end of each year. The presentation follows for the above-mentioned categories 1, 2, 3a and 3b. The bar charts show a continuous increase over time in all categories for both the landscape structure plans.
BD-R-1: Consideration of climate change in landscape programmes

The bar chart shows the consideration of climate change in landscape programmes and landscape framework plans as a percentage of the evaluated plans. The evaluation of the landscape framework plans and landscape programmes was carried out for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015 and 2017 at the end of each year. The presentation follows for the above-mentioned categories 1, 2, 3a and 3b. The bar charts show a continuous increase over time in all categories for both the landscape structure plans and the landscape programmes.

Source: BfN (own analysis)
 

Climate change impacts gaining importance in landscape planning

Land use plays an essential part in biodiversity, which makes it one of the central starting points for the conservation of animals and plants and for the development of suitable habitats. Climate change therefore presents, in many respects, new challenges regarding a nature-compatible and future-oriented approach to controlling land use, as in all probability the competition for land is going to increase. The enhancement of various forms of renewable energy for the purpose of climate protection – especially the use of biomass for energy production – is leading regionally to the intensification of land use in terms of agriculture and forestry.

In order to safeguard biodiversity it is necessary when making decisions related to nature conservation, to take both direct and indirect impacts of climate change into account, to identify the essential objectives both in terms of concepts and planning and to prepare the requisite measures. Comprehensive planning of land use therefore plays an essential role in nature conservation. Programmes related to landscape planning incorporate important co-ordinating functions at the level of federal Länder, setting priorities in decisions on requirements and measures in respect of nature conservation that are of relevance to the federal state in question. Apart from programme-based objectives and guidelines for nature conservation policies of a federal state, they also contain spatially tangible illustrations e.g. on a specific state’s biotope network or on its areas of particular value in terms of nature conservation. Landscape framework plans are generated for planning regions, administrative districts or government districts. They illustrate the requirements of landscape programmes in a tangible form, contain proposals on the designation of priority areas and make statements that are specific to particular regions.

Unfortunately, regulations contained in individual Länder’s nature conservation legislation regarding the generation and updating of landscape programmes and landscape framework plans are not homogeneous. For example, the city states of Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg as well as the states of Saarland and since 2010 also Hesse have abolished the generation of landscape framework plans.37 In some cases, the current legal position also means that outdated landscape programmes do not have to be updated any more. Besides, the updating cycle for landscape framework plans also varies from state to state. However, as before, there is still a rule in force according to which landscape programmes and landscape framework plans represent the central planning level which serves as a platform in which it is possible to embed any requirements on spatial planning resulting from climate change as well as requirements in respect of nature conservation.

As shown by an evaluation of 16 landscape programmes operated by Länder and the available landscape framework plans – there were 162 in 2017 – the impacts of climate change and the resulting requirements in terms of planning are not yet taken into consideration widely. However, as far as plans are concerned which were analysed in respect of the period from 2000 and 2017, a distinct increase is noticeable in references to climate change. For example, climate change and themes relating to climate protection and adaptation to climate change in connection with nature conservation issues are mentioned in slightly more than two thirds (71 %) of landscape programmes. The process of evaluation included statements made in the plans relating to land with storage or sink functions for carbon. By contrast, a clear majority of plans has so far omitted to include descriptions of tangible impacts of climate change on biodiversity. According to the 2017 status, only approx. 17 % of landscape framework plans provide a rationale for individual nature conservation objectives and measures which are at least in part associated with climate change. The analyses undertaken do not permit any detailed statements regarding the specific technical depth or consideration of climate change in the plans analysed. Nevertheless, it is obvious that landscape plans at the level of Länder and regions, with a view to the challenges of climate change, have so far included only scant statements on tangible objectives and measures. The current initiatives taken by individual Länder suggest, however, that the opportunities of control through planning will be utilised more thoroughly in future programmes and updating of plans.

37 - Lipp T. 2016: Landschaftsrahmenplan. In: Riedel W., Lange H., Jedicke E., Reinke M. (Hrsg.): Landschaftsplanung. Berlin: 237–249. Schleswig-Holstein hat die Landschaftsrahmenpläne 2016 wieder eingeführt. Informationen im Landesportal Schleswig-Holstein:
https://www.schleswig-holstein.de/DE/Fachinhalte/L/landschaftsplanung/lp_03_Landschaftsrahmenplanung.html

 

Interfaces

RO-R-1: Priority and restricted areas reserved for wildlife and landscape conservation

 

Objectives

Anticipatory consideration in landscape planning of the dynamics and changes in nature and landscape owing to climate change (DAS, ch. 3.2.5)