Last updated: June 2024
Forests fulfil several important climate functions, they are carbon sinks, regulate the local climate or buffer heatwaves and cloudbursts. Based on climate projections, longer dry periods are to be expected during summer months which have major implications for local humid forests. The “fit for climate change” project was initiated to develop and implement climate adaptation measures for the latter, for instance via hydrological regulation, the use and reinstatement of resilient, adapted tree species or revitalizing moors and swamps. It was administered by the regional forestry authority and the nature conservation station Münster (Ref. 1 and 2).
Forest areas
Source:http://www.fit-fuer-den-klimawandel.de/hintergrund-und-ziele/waldgebiete/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Green corridors and green belts
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Climate change mitigation
- Environmental quality
- Air quality improvement
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Green space creation and/or management
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Flood protection
- Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Protection of natural ecosystems
Project objectives
-Stabilizing the vitality of three functions of humid forests: adaptation capacity to a changing climate, improve their function as carbon sinks and enhance their capacity to accommodate biological diversity (Ref. 3)
-Revitalizing natural retention areas, moor forests by restoring a balanced water cycle characteristic for the area (Ref. 3)
-Secure the long-term existence of the rare forest types which was threatened by drainage works in the project area and projected longer dry periods in the future (Ref. 4)
-Important sub-areas are the Davert, which had been drained over centuries, the historically old forest area of the Wolbeck Zoo and the Hohe Ward, where alluvial and swamp forests, swamp forests and nationally important oak-hornbeam forests grew on naturally moist to wet locations. They were to be strengthened in order to adapt better to climate change, act as a carbon sink and seen as a place of biological diversity (ref. 1)
Wet forests were to be optimized, alluvial forests revitalized and bog forests secured. For this purpose, a balanced, natural landscape-typical landscape water balance was to be restored (ref. 3)
Implementation activities
Stabilizing the hydrological cycle: investigating the soil water balance in the project area to determine stabilizing measures and set up areas where such measures can be implemented; investigating the existing drainage channels (which were implemented during the 19th century in order to turn the former moor forest into forestry) and sealing the channels to reduce the duration of dry periods (Ref. 4);
Optimization of tree species: Increase the amount of climate / hydrological well-adapted tree species, for instance through deliberate new plantings (Ref. 4);
Preserving deadwood: Increase the amount of dead and used wood to improve the forest's function as a carbon sink, biodiversity hotspot, water retention and balancing the microclimate (Ref. 4);
Revitalize moors: investigate options for reactivating the original moor forest which was drained but, if reactivated, could serve as a major carbon sink (Ref. 4); purchase of private land in the project area (Ref. 4)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
- Create or improve outdoor spaces to help people escape from urban heat
- Implement sustainable urban drainage infrastructure (e.g. to make space for water)
- Increase the use of climate-resilient plant species (resistant to drought, fire, and pests)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Create new habitats
- Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Means for conservation governance
- Biodiversity offsets
- Public engagement
Main beneficiaries
- Private sector/Corporate/Company
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Regional government
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is carried out by the "Naturschutzstation Münsterland" (translation: nature conservation station Münsterland) in collaboration with the regional forest authority (government part). Whereas the latter is a governmental body, the former is a non-governmental association focusing on forest research but facilitating the exchange between public and governmental bodies concerning forest and biodiversity issues. The project receives funds from the regional and national government. Is is further scientifically supported and evaluated by researchers of the Institute of Landscape Ecology at the University of Münster (Ref. 1, 2 and 8).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The funding is provided by the so-called forest climate fonds handled by and introduced on the request of the national ministry of agriculture and the national ministry of the environment which recognized the urgency in adapting national forests to an already changing climate. The fund is strategically targeting measures that enhance carbon storage of wood and forests as well as adaptation to a changing climate in order to achieve the climate targets set by the national government (Ref. 10).)
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(There is a climate adaptation strategy of the city of Münster which suggests a set of measures to be implemented, one of which concerns the adaptation of the current tree stock for improved climate adaptation (Ref. 9))
Financing
Total cost
€2,000,000 - €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
- Public regional budget
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Enhanced carbon sequestration
- Water management and blue areas
- Increased protection against flooding
- Improved stormwater management
- Reduced risk of damages by drought
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Increase in protected green space areas
- Increased number of protection areas
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts, Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
References
1. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e.V. (2017). Fit für den Klimawandel. Maßnahmen für eine nachhaltige, naturnahe Anpassung feuchter Wälder im Münsterland an Klimaveränderungen. Münster. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
2. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017a). Fit für den Klimawandel. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
3. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017b). Hintergrund und Ziele. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
4. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017c). Maßnahmen. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
5. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017d). Monitoring. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
6. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017e). Waldpädagogik. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
7. Grottendieck, M. (2017). ‘Projekt „Fit für den Klimawandel“. Der Wald kommt auf den Lehrplan’, Westfälische Nachrichten, 7 July. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
8. AG Biodiversität und Ökosystemforschung - Institut für Landschaftsökologie - WWU Münster. (2017). Fit für den Klimawandel. Wissenschaftliche Begleitung und Evaluierung des Waldklimafonds-Projektes Davert: Fit für den Klimawandel - Maßnahmen für eine nachhaltige, naturnahe Anpassung feuchter Wälder im Münsterland an Klimaveränderungen. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
9. Stadt Münster. (2017). Klimaanpassungskonzept. Warum ein Anpassungskonzept? Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
10. Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft and Bundesministerium für Umwelt / Naturschutz / Bau und Reaktorsicherheit (no date) Waldklimafonds. Available at: Source link (Accessed9 August 2020)
11. NABU Naturschutzstation Münsterland. (2017). NABU Naturschutzstation Münsterland. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
12. Naturschutzzentrum Kreis Coesfeld e.V. (n.d.) Naturschutzzentrum Kreis Coesfeld e.V. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
13. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e.V. (2017). Fit für den Klimawandel. Stabile Wälder im Münsterland - Projekt Waldklimafonds. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
2. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017a). Fit für den Klimawandel. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
3. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017b). Hintergrund und Ziele. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
4. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017c). Maßnahmen. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
5. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017d). Monitoring. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
6. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e. V. (2017e). Waldpädagogik. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
7. Grottendieck, M. (2017). ‘Projekt „Fit für den Klimawandel“. Der Wald kommt auf den Lehrplan’, Westfälische Nachrichten, 7 July. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
8. AG Biodiversität und Ökosystemforschung - Institut für Landschaftsökologie - WWU Münster. (2017). Fit für den Klimawandel. Wissenschaftliche Begleitung und Evaluierung des Waldklimafonds-Projektes Davert: Fit für den Klimawandel - Maßnahmen für eine nachhaltige, naturnahe Anpassung feuchter Wälder im Münsterland an Klimaveränderungen. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
9. Stadt Münster. (2017). Klimaanpassungskonzept. Warum ein Anpassungskonzept? Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
10. Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft and Bundesministerium für Umwelt / Naturschutz / Bau und Reaktorsicherheit (no date) Waldklimafonds. Available at: Source link (Accessed9 August 2020)
11. NABU Naturschutzstation Münsterland. (2017). NABU Naturschutzstation Münsterland. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
12. Naturschutzzentrum Kreis Coesfeld e.V. (n.d.) Naturschutzzentrum Kreis Coesfeld e.V. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
13. NABU-Naturschutzstation Münsterland e.V. (2017). Fit für den Klimawandel. Stabile Wälder im Münsterland - Projekt Waldklimafonds. Available at: Source link (Accessed 9 August 2020)
Forest areas
Source:http://www.fit-fuer-den-klimawandel.de/hintergrund-und-ziele/waldgebiete/