Project
overview
MACIS in a
nutshell
MACIS summarises what is already know about the
impacts of climate change on biodiversity and
develops methods to assess the potential impacts in
the future. In joint co- operation with policy makers
and stakeholders MACIS shows what can be done to stop
biodiversity loss.
Legal background: Negative
impacts on biodiversity are to be
mimized
The conservation of biodiversity is a major EU
commitment, highlighted through the
Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) and EU target to halt the loss of
biodiversity by 2010 (and to sustain it thereafter).
The key conservation measure of the EU is the
establishment of the Natura 2000
network, along which animal and plant
species would be able to migrate freely. The EU is
committed under the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop plans
for adaptation to the effects of climate change on
all ecosystem sectors. EU Policy- makers have to
ensure that the adverse effects of climate change on
biodiversity are minimized and that alternative
policy options are developed.
Climate change and the
measures to adapt and mitigate climate change can
have negative impacts on biodiversity
Climate change is a global driver of environmental
change which has already had a considerable impact on
many aspects of the environment (Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change – IPCC - reports,
European environmental agency reports.
Other drivers, like landuse changes, demographic
changes, socio-economic changes also impact
biodiversity.
The growing number of
scientific publications evokes the need for a
comprehensive assessment
MACIS is working on a comprehensive
assessment (State of the art) and focuses on the
questions:
What is already know about
- the observed and the potential impacts of climate
change on biodiversity?
- the impacts of adaption and mitigation measures on
biodiversity?
What are the available
options to prevent and minimise negative impacts for
EU 25 up to the year 2050?
Through this process MACIS develops methods to
identify habitats at greatest risks and to identify
all habitats that buffer against negative
impacts.
There are policy options
to stop biodiversity loss
Together with policy makers and stakeholders
MACIS (focus: climate change) and
the closely linked project COCONUT
identifies policy options to stop biodiversity loss
due to climate and land use change.
