Biodiversity Requires Adaptations Under a Changing Climate in Northwest Europe: Planning and Coastal Wildlife, the Example of Normandy in France

Abstract

The Interreg IIIB BRANCH project evaluated potential impacts of climate change on coastal wildlife in Northwest Europe and aimed at identifying planning strategies in cooperation with stakeholders. A specific technical and methodological effort focused on elaborating a GIS as a support for prospective work. This paper deals with the example of the French coastal case study sites in Normandy: 1. Several key marine and coastal habitats and species have been studied (quantity, quality, localization, evolution) so as to integrate ecosystem functionalities in scenarios showing risks on marine habitats versus climate change factors (sea level rise, temperature rising): benthic fauna, flora, bird, arthropods, and hydrosedimentary dynamics. 2. A new method has been elaborated in order to build a common database integrating pluridisciplinary information, to elaborate an initial status assessment, to support long-term monitoring, and to be flexible, to progressively integrate new marine, social, and economical knowledge. The results were presented and debated at regional and national workshops, which raised seven main recommendations for adaptation measures leading to a better consideration of climate change in coastal management and its effects on biodiversity: 1. To anticipate in order to reduce impacts: it is essential to act now 2. To improve information and awareness of local stakeholders: to better assess the socioeconomic issues of climate change 3. To build up a shared vision: among local stakeholders on challenges and planning measures to be taken 4. To reduce the uncertainties: in order to reduce their inhibitory effect on the decision-making processes 5. To respect the natural processes: which guarantee the sustainable development of the coast 6. To integrate climate change into public policies: a specific transversal policy on climate change is essential, from large to local scale 7. To diversify and improve tools: BRANCH highlights the need of considering biodiversity as dynamic, functional, and at larger spatial and time scales, in order to help wildlife adapt to climate change and to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem services the local stakeholders lack operational tools to decide and to act; they wish to benefit from coordinated protocols and a detailed road map that guide them towards adequate measures for the short, mid, and long terms.