A Methodological Proposal for the Climate Change Risk Assessment of Coastal Habitats Based on the Evaluation of Ecosystem Services: Lessons Learnt from the INTERREG Project ECO-SMART

Alberto Barausse, Cécil Meulenberg, Irene Occhipinti, Marco Abordi, Lara Endrizzi, Giovanna Guadagnin, Mirco Piron, Francesca Visintin, Liliana Vižintin and Alessandro Manzardo
Additional contact information
Alberto Barausse: Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
Cécil Meulenberg: Science and Research Centre Koper, Mediterranean Institute for Environmental Studies, Garibaldijeva 1, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
Irene Occhipinti: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35131 Padova, Italy
Marco Abordi: Terra srl, Galleria Progresso 5, 30027 San Donà di Piave, Italy
Lara Endrizzi: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35131 Padova, Italy
Giovanna Guadagnin: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35131 Padova, Italy
Mirco Piron: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35131 Padova, Italy
Francesca Visintin: eFrame srl, via J. Linussio 51, 33100 Udine, Italy
Liliana Vižintin: Science and Research Centre Koper, Mediterranean Institute for Environmental Studies, Garibaldijeva 1, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
Alessandro Manzardo: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padova, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35131 Padova, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 13, 1-21

Abstract: Climate change is seriously impacting coastal biodiversity and the benefits it provides to humans. This issue is particularly relevant in the case of the European Union’s Natura 2000 network of areas for nature protection, where the sensitivity of local ecosystems calls for intervention to increase resistance and resilience to climate-related risks. Given the complex ways in which climate can influence conservation hotspot areas, there is a need to develop effective strategic approaches and general operational models to identify priorities for management and inform adaptation and mitigation measures. Here, a novel methodological proposal to perform climate risk assessment in Natura 2000 sites is presented that implements the systematic approach of ISO 14090 in combination with the theoretical framework of ecosystem services assessment and local stakeholder participation to identify climate-related issues for local protected habitats and improve the knowledge base needed to plan sustainable conservation and restoration measures. The methodology was applied to five Natura 2000 sites located along the Adriatic coast of Italy and Slovenia. Results show that each of the assessed sites, despite being along the coast of the same sea, is affected by different climate-related issues, impacting different habitats and corresponding ecosystem services. This novel methodology enables a simple and rapid screening for the prioritization of conservation actions and of the possible further investigations needed to support decision making, and was found to be robust and of general applicability. These findings highlight the importance of designing site-specific adaptation measures, tailored to address the peculiar response to climate change of each site in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

Keywords: ecosystem services; climate change adaptation; Natura 2000; nature conservation; sustainability; coastal management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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