Biosphere Reserves and Climate Adaptation
Volume 2 – Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Svitiaz, 2021
Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve – Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation
Climate enables life – life influences climate
Man-made climate change poses a particular challenge for ecosystems and people living in them. In the worst-case sce- nario, sharp changes in temperature and precipitation pat- terns will necessitate a restructuring of the ecosystem as im- portant flora and fauna species become extinct or replaced. This has happened several times in the history of the earth. However, such restructuring has often been accompanied by significant and abrupt losses in functionality. Furthermore, the current change is extremely rapid. Advantageously, ecosystems have important properties and functions which humans can use to adapt to climate change: they catch wa- ter, store and retain it in the landscape and thereby cool it, reduce wind speeds, and buffer extreme weather events of all kinds. Yet, if we continue to unsustainably utilise natural resources, e.g. solely for the production of biomass as in in- tensive agriculture or forestry, many of these properties will be lost. The ecosystem-based sustainable development ap- 1 proach aims at a balanced use of as many ecosystem services as possible without destroying the functional efficiency and (1) Damaged car after heavy storm self-healing powers of nature. (cc4.0) Ukrainian State Emergency Service
Ecosystem services (ES): Outputs, conditions, or processes of natural systems that directly or indirectly benefit humans or enhance social welfare. Citation: R.J. Johnston, Britannica They can be subdivided into three categories: Regulating: Air and water purification, soil formation, pollination, decomposition, erosion and flood control (e.g. through soil- and plant water retention), carbon storage, and climate regulation. Provisioning: Goods (biomass and genetic materials) ‒ e.g. food (fish, fruit and vegetables, etc.), seeds, clean air and water, timber (e.g. as construction material), and fuel materials (firewood). Cultural: Aesthetic, spiritual, and cultural values; physical and intellectual interaction in education, research, and art. Also, space and conditions for recreational and sports activities. Based on: Common Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES) developed by Haines-Young & Potschin
Edited by Under the auspices of the Climate Change The biggest challenge for humanity
Global temperature change (1860–2019) Climate change is not a scenario anymore. Humans are increasingly influencing the climate system by burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, and practising increasingly intensive and large-scale agriculture. These harmful activities add enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to those naturally oc- 1 curring in the atmosphere, leading, with a time lag, to Surface air temperature anomaly for September 2019 to August 2020 1860 1890 1920 1950 1980 2010 global warming and other climate changes. 3 (Reference period: 1981-2010)
Planet Earth is unique. The interplay of produces our food, and thus forms the layer. But it is only in the last 150 years seen the most rapid transformation of biodiversity through land-use changes. pollution of air, water and soil, and the its properties allows water to exist on its basis of our existence. The composi- that technological and social develop- the human relationship with the natu- The effects of these changes can be spread of invasive species. These im- surface in liquid form, which is an essen- tion of the atmosphere surrounding it ments have led to the incomparably ral world. This escalating trend of en- even more damaging than the direct pacts will further reduce the resilience tial condition for life. The globe of ap- and the global greenhouse effect are rapid growth of a wide variety of fac- vironmental problems, which has thus impacts due to their scale, intensity, of ecosystems to climate change as proximately 12,700 km thickness is sur- also significantly influenced by the bio- tors, which have significantly changed become a symbol of our world today, and speed. They include habitat frag- well as the capacity to deliver essential rounded by the biosphere as if it were sphere. the state of both the biosphere and causes not only the climate but also the mentation and loss, over-exploitation, ecosystem services to humans. a macroscopic biofilm. This fragmented atmosphere (the small graphs show ex- global change affecting a wide range of and delicate film, which even in the ar- The Great Acceleration amples of some of the most important different levels and sectors. (3) The map depicts global and European surface air temperature anomaly for September 2019 to For several hundred thousand years, August 2020 relative to the average for 1981-2010. It does not show absolute temperatures; eas of the mightiest forests corresponds exponential developments). It becomes The year 2019 was the second warmest instead, it shows how much warmer or cooler each region of the Earth was compared to that to less than 0.0005% of the earth’s di- humans have been just some of the nu- clear that, in the history of humankind, year in the 140-year record, with glob- baseline average. ameter, contains all known forms of life, merous actors in this delicate biosphere the last 50 years have without a doubt al land surface temperature deviating Data source: ERA5. Credit: Copernicus Climate Change Service/ECMWF from the average by +1.44°C. This val- (4) Drought in European Groundwater (1) Warming stripes of the globe The map shows shallow groundwater storage in Europe as of June 22, 2020, as measured by © Ed Hawkins (University of Reading). ue is 0.11°C less than the record-value the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow ON (GRACE-FO) satellites. The colours Data: Berkeley Earth, NOAA, UK Met Office, of +1.55°C set in 2016 and only 0.01°C depict the wetness percentile; that is, how the levels of groundwater compare to long-term MeteoSwiss, DWD, SMHI, UoR, Meteo France & records for the month. Blue areas have more abundant water than usual, and orange and red ZAMG higher than the third-highest value areas have less. The darkest reds represent dry conditions that should occur only 2 percent of (2) The Great Acceleration Graphs set in 2017 and 2015 (1.43°C). The five the time (about once every 50 years). Updated version by Will Steffen et al. “The trajec- warmest years in the 1880–2019 record NASA Earth Observatory image by Lauren Dauphin, using GRACE data from the National Drought Mitigation tory of the Anthropocene: The Great Accelera- Center. tion.” The Anthropocene Review, March 2015 have occurred since 2015, while nine of the 10 warmest years have occurred since 2005. Citation: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate at a Glance: Global Time Series, pub- Greenhouse gases lished June 2020, retrieved on June 30, CO2 is the greenhouse gas most 2020, from https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/ commonly produced by human cag/https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/ activities and responsible for 64% of man-made global warming. Its Climate impacts are happening on concentration in the atmosphere all continents and in many sectors is currently 40% higher than at Research on future scenarios predicts the beginning of industrialisation. that climate change will have a dra- As populations, economies, and matic effect on natural environments, standards of living grow, so does plants, and animals. Direct impacts the cumulative level of green- include changes in phenology, species house gas emissions. abundance and distribution, communi- ty composition, habitat structure, and ecosystem processes. Climate change 4 2 is also leading to indirect impacts on 2 3 (1) Warming stripes of Ukraine © Ed Hawkins (University of Reading) Data: Berke- ley Earth, NOAA, UK Met Office, MeteoSwiss, Climate and its development DWD, SMHI, UoR, Meteo France & ZAMG (2) Evaporation and cooling function of a forest after rainfall in Shatskyi Region © P. Ibisch (3) Monthly means of air temperature for the current period (1991-2018) vs. the period of climatological normal (1961-1990) in the Shatskyi BR (Svitiaz weather station) Temperature change in Ukraine since 1901 © A. Smaliychuk 3 The Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve occupies the most (4) Average sum of monthly precipitation for the modern period (1991-2018) vs. period of north-western part of the Polesie ecoregion represent- climatological normal (1961-1990) in Shats- kiy BR (Svitiaz weather station) ed by mixed forests with the domination of pine forest © A. Smaliychuk stands and admixture of oak. Also, this part of Polesie is famous for the large number of lakes formed after the last glaciation in the Pleistocene. Like elsewhere across Polesie, the natural hydrological regime here 1 was changed by a drainage network, which influenced microclimate conditions as well. 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 4
Climate observations in the Shatskyi be more than 2.5oC in February, March, month, with the longest consecutive Biosphere Reserve have been conducted August, and December. It was partic- period of 25 days observed in August since 1945 at the Svitiaz weather station ularly hot in August 2015 and July of 2015. The highest one-day precipitation located next to Svitiaz – the largest lake 2014, when the average air temperature usually falls in May-July and Septem- in the region. Overall, the local climate reached 21.9 and 21.2oC, respectively, due ber-October with an average amount is formed by westerlies, which bring to extreme heatwaves in those summer of 15-25 mm over 24 hours. Its absolute about most of the annual precipitation seasons. These values correspond to the monthly maximum was recorded in May from the west. Moreover, due to a large past long-term average of Central-East- 2014 and July 2018 with more than 130 number of lakes, the microclimate of the ern Ukraine within the steppe zone. In mm, which constituted more than 20 % Biosphere Reserve also features higher 2018, the summer days (with a maximum of annual precipitation in those years. air humidity and a distinguished impact daily temperature exceeding 25oC) were As compared to the other two BRs, the of the breeze wind on air circulation. observed from April till September with a average number of wet days (with snow total number of 89 days per year as com- or rain) is much higher (ca. 160 days per Air temperature pared to 64 days’ average in 2014-2018. year) in the Shatskyi BR, thus indicating During the climatic normal period be- a shorter duration of the dry period, tween 1961 and 1990 (standard reference), Precipitation which, however, is hindered by the low the average annual air temperature was The average annual amount of precipi- water-holding capacity of sandy soils. about 7.4oC. It reached the maximum of tation in the region of the Biosphere Re- Due to specific air circulation, large 9.5oC and 9.1oC in 1989 and 1990, respec- serve, as compared to the reference pe- water bodies within the Shatskyi BR tively. In the past 28 years (1991-2018), riod and last three decades has increased moderate the adverse consequences of the mean annual temperature reached by almost 8 % – from 559 to 603 mm. climate change in surrounding ecosys- 8.5oC, thus having increased by 1.1oC. It Furthermore, the amount of precipita- tems providing them with cool and wet has been particularly high since 2014: tion in eight out of twelve years between air flows. each year’s value exceeded 9.0oC with a 2007 and 2018 has exceeded by 120 % peak of 9.8oC in 2015. The mean monthly the long-term average of 1961-1990. Most Projection for the future temperature of the coldest and hottest precipitation still falls during the summer According to the most probable climate months (i.e., January and July) in the peri- season, although there are some changes change scenarios for the Shatskyi region ods of 1961-1990 and 1991-2018 were -4.6 in volume throughout the year (see graph (B1 and A2 scenarios of IPCC), the mean vs. -2.5oC and 18.1 vs. 19.8oC, respectively. 2). Between 1991 and 2018, a substan- annual temperature is expected to in- The highest increase in mean month- tial increase in the amount of rainwater crease by 2.0 and 4.6°C, respectively, ly temperatures in comparison to the was recorded in the spring months and by the end of the 21st century in com- climatic normal was observed in win- September-October, while only three parison to the 2000-2010 average. They ter (January and February) and summer months (June, July, and November) fea- also indicate an increasing variability of months (July and August) (see graph 1). tured less precipitation in comparison the amount of precipitation, which can Moreover, this trend has accelerated in with the climatic normal. be challenging for the development of 2 the past five years (2014-2018) when the During the last five years, the average du- sustainable and adapted agriculture and highest temperature rise appeared to ration of a dry period has been 9 days per forestry as well as tourism in the region.
4 5 drive evaporation and transpiration rates two dozen lakes, including lake Sviti- pose a major challenge for the lakes´ re- of water-bodies, soils, and plants, lead- az, the largest lake within the Shatskyi covery. Forests, swamps, meadows, and ing to landscape dehydration. Combined BR. It is considered the cleanest and agricultural lands are also increasingly Climate change and land-use impacts with changes in quantity and timing of deepest in Ukraine and is recognized suffering from dehydration. The com- precipitation, higher runoff rates, near- as one of the seven Ukrainian natural bination of dryer conditions due to on the biosphere and its people by mining activities, and unsustainable wonders and a favorite vacation spot. climate change and unsustainable wa- water use by agriculture and private The lake´s water level dropped by 38 ter use by humans increases the risk of households, the water balance is un- cm below the observed normal of the fires, in particular in meadows and peat The ecosystems and, in consequence, the people of the der additional pressure. Significant was past 35 years. Subsequent hot and dry bogs, a rising number of fires are being Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve are affected by multiple stresses, the water-level drop in 2019 of about years, as well as unchanged water-use, observed and monitored. i.e. disrupted or destroyed ecological attributes. Dysfunctional ecosystems are more vulnerable and provide diminished qual- Key impacts: ity and quantity of ecosystem services, thus affecting human •• Decreased levels of surface and groundwater are becoming evident wellbeing – health, nutrition, income, and livelihood. Climate in the shallowing and drying of the Desna River, its tributaries, lakes, change is particularly dangerous where ecosystems are exposed ponds, and wells • Changed flood regime patterns 1 • and cannot function properly due to overuse, modification, de- •• Polluted surface- and groundwater struction, and fragmentation. •• Dehydration and desiccation of flora and fauna 5 At risk are essential supporting ecolog- open land ecosystems leading to deg- Humans at risk – heat and drought: ical functions like water cycling (water radation of soils, biodiversity- and water •• More frequent heat waves endanger the health of people, especially retention, evaporation, etc.), produc- loss. Wetlands and water bodies were of sensitive groups. Not only humans but also plants and animals are tivity and procreation (photosynthesis, and are affected by hydro-technical me- stressed by heat, weaken, or die primary production, etc.), physical work lioration and drainage, pollution, exces- •• Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases can result from heat or thermal (shading, wind speed reduction, filtration sive use, and uncontrolled recreational stresses of air and water, etc.), nutrient cycling activities by large numbers of tourists. •• Higher risk of fire 2 (decay, humus-, and soil formation), and Unrestrained residential development, •• Waterborne diseases the corresponding ecosystem services. uncontrolled extraction of mineral re- •• Diminishing quality and quantity of drinking water Both the ecosystems´ current capac- sources within the BR, and legal mining •• Water supply shortages 6 ity to perform and future ability to activities on the adjacent Belarus ter- cope with disruption is hampered. In ritory are also considered to affect the the Shatskyi BR, this is a result of past overall hydrological regime. and present human land-use practices: Hot and dry summers and mild winters Humans at risk – fires and air pollution: In forest ecosystems, monocultures, without frost and snow have become •• Drying of peat bogs, forest, and arable land entailing frequent fires can clear-cutting, deforestation, and illegal more frequent on the territory of the spur the amount of allergic and asthmatic diseases in the region logging play a major role. Intense ag- Biosphere Reserve, especially in the •• Air pollution due to particles released into the atmosphere during fires riculture, surface sealing, and the use past five years. Increasing average tem- can cause cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and death 3 of pesticides and herbicides affect the peratures, hot days, and drought periods • Wildfires increase the risk of a direct loss of lives and damages to infra- • 7 structure (1) Drainage channel within a forest plantation – a driver of dehydration and thus vulnerability © K. Mack Functionality (2) Uncontrolled urban sprawl and sur- Key Ecological Attributes– Humans at risk – alien species and species loss: biomass, information, network face sealing are a threat to functional •• Diarrhea and infectious diseases, in which the pathogens are transmit- ecosystems © K. Mack ted, e.g by mosquitoes or ticks (tick-borne borreliosis ‒ Lyme disease, _ and encephalitis), are two disease patterns that can occur more fre- (3) Water-intense, artificial blueberry quently as the temperature gradually rises farming negatively affects the water + balance and soil quality •• Forest produce and crop damage and loss 8 © A. Schick Exposure •• Increasing cases of allergies and allergic shocks (4) Conceptual model ‒ vulnerability e. g. to harm by climate change Sensitivity Adaptive capacity Illustration © K. Mack (5) Degraded soils as a result of past intense _ agricultural use Humans at risk – extreme weather events: © A. Schick The functionality of a system largely determines + + • (6) Monoculture forestry ‒ poor in biodiversi- how sensitive and how adaptable it is to change. • Direct damage to physical and mental well-being: e.g. flooding can cause ty, water retention, and cooling capacity Consequently, preserving and restoring a sys- Vulnerability mould or dampness provoking cough, phlegm, respiratory problems, and © Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve tem’s ability to function can reduce its vulner- Shows via stress symptoms, ability. allergic reactions (7) Lake Svitiaz´ significant water level drop in e.g. loss of forest cover 2019 related to climate change and human •• Damage to infrastructure, houses, and private property factors Vulnerability describes the level of exposure, 4 © Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve sensitivity, and adaptive capacity of a system to •• Damages to crops and harvest external influences, such as climate change. •• Power supply shortages (8) Heat and drought lead to desiccation and loss of flora (and fauna) and increase the •• Other negative consequences risk of wildfires © Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve 6 7 Continued from p. 7
Climate change and land-use impacts Even though the occurrence of forest Forestry, agriculture, and influence of this farm, the domestic and fires remains low, their risk increases. pisciculture touristic sectors, the Belarus chalk mine, on the biosphere and its people Enabled by these conditions, fires are Diverse economic sectors relevant to and climate change on the hydrological mostly triggered by inattentive humans the Shatskyi BR are facing increasing regime of the Shatsky BR have not been or lightning strikes during thunderstorms. losses due to climate change impacts. investigated system-wide so far. Overall, a reduction in biodiversity Dropping water levels in lakes relevant is observed both related to climate for tourism, crop failures due to drought, Tourism change and human intrusions. Chang- hail, and pests, as well as dying fish, are This sector is highly relevant for the re- es in wildlife, plant populations, and “In recent years, there has been a significant increase in few examples of the challenges the lo- gion because of its many lakes, forests, habitats are occurring. This includes cal economy is and will increasingly face. swamps, and recreation sites. Especial- average and maximum air temperatures and a decrease in the appearance of alien species, while Forest ecosystems are increasingly af- ly in the summertime, it is a touristic the living conditions of native plant precipitation, especially in summer and autumn. These factors fected by heat and drought, storms, and hotspot of Volyn Oblast and north-west- and animal species are deteriorating. A increase the number of dry days in summer and reduce the pests. In recent years, a spread of the ern Ukraine. Climate change poses a se- growing number of the spread of pests, apical bark beetle in pine plantations of rious threat to this unique touristic char- resilience of ecosystems.” diseases, and insect calamities are ob- the Shatskyi BR has been noticed. acter of the region, being home to lake served mostly in forest and agricultur- Past intense land transformation and use Svityaz, one of the seven natural won- Vitaliy Turych, researcher at Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve al ecosystems. Higher levels of insect has negatively affected the soil quality, ders of Ukraine. Additionally, Shatsk dis- populations destroying trees and crops destroyed the root systems, led to dryer trict residents and tourist facilities oper- are found in arid arrays. Monoculture soil conditions, and caused erosion in ators make extensive use of groundwater pine forests are extremely vulnerable the territory. As soil is insufficiently sat- from wells, which are available in most – the bark beetle population has now urated with water, land-users are forced households and recreation centers. become a major threat to these stands. to change cultivation schemes. For ex- The shallowing and drying of lakes and Climate change also drives an increase ample, land that was previously used as other climate change-related impacts in the number of dangerous weather meadows by the local inhabitants is now can cause a serious decline in touristic phenomena, such as heatwaves and the intensively used and irrigated crop- attractiveness and thus in activity, em- droughts, torrential rain and flooding, land. For the local population, this leads ployment, and income opportunities storms, hail-, sand-, and snowstorms, to higher investments of time and mon- for the local population. Forest and and frosts with icing in late spring. The ey for growing crops. Yet, the lowering meadow vegetation dieback is accel- ecosystems and humans, forming part groundwater and surface water levels, erated by drying while insect calami- of them, are affected at different levels, visible in the shallowing of lakes, ponds, ties can negatively affect the aesthetic space, and time by the manifold conse- and reservoirs, make artificial landscap- value of the region for visitors and the quences of such events. ing based on constant watering more inhabitants. Tourism can only remain To obtain a spatial overview of stress difficult and riskier. a stable future income source if land impact distribution in ecosystems of On the drained territory of the Upper use is sustainably approached and de- the Biosphere Reserve, an assessment Pripyat drainage system (Polozhevo vil- veloped. (Near-) natural and functional was carried out. The range of vulner- lage), there is a berry plantation of about ecosystems are the basis of securing ability is based on a set of stress indi- 200 hectares, and, as a consequence, ir- the economic and social dimension of cators including management intensity, rigation reservoirs are being filled with tourism in the long run. Local tourist neighborhood impact, logging intensi- groundwater. This amount of water use operators need to be aware of this and ty, road impact, soil water conditions, also affects the water availability of sur- understand ecosystem-based solutions artificial drainage, and human popula- rounding ecosystems and people. The as an opportunity for this sector. tion density. All values were standard- ized on a 0-100 scale to enable integra- Key impacts – forests and forestry: tion into the vulnerability map, where highly (red-yellow) to little vulnerable •• Impaired forest recovery in monocultures (green-blue) areas are indicated. •• Drying of trees and forest dieback The level of vulnerability also indi- •• Increased frequency and risk of wildfire cates where land- and natural resource •• Disappearing of species (both flora and fauna) use are stressing ecosystems and thus, •• Damaging of local trees species by new insects where regulating functions necessary •• Decreased growth rates and yield to buffer climate change impacts and secure ecosystem services for human well-being are reduced. Blue and dark Key impacts ‒ soil and agriculture: green areas particularly need ecosys- •• Increased risk from drought and frequency and risk of wildfire tem-based conservation efforts, while •• Shifting production zones light green, yellow, and red areas, in •• Soil degradation and erosion addition to conservation, strongly need •• Compacted soil (land-use related) 1 restoration efforts and reduction of hu- •• Diminished soil productivity (1) Map of ecosystem vulnerability in the region of the Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve (area of the BR + 1 km buffer) man-induced stresses. •• Decreased yield and growth rates Sources: Data processing and analysis by I. Kruhlov; Base map: Google Satellite 2016; Roads, settlements, water bodies: OSM 2020; Produced by A. Dichte
8 9 (2) Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the context of Sustainable Development sustainable development as a cross-cutting approach Ecosystem-based Adaptation among several (adapted from Midgley et al. 2012. Biodiversity, Climate Change and Sustainable Devel- opment – Harnessing Synergies and Celebrating Suc- to Climate Change cesses) (3) Water buffalo husbandry as an alternative form of land use for wetlands instead of drainage or after rewetting (4) Reed use, e.g. as insulation material, needs functional Socio-Economic Climate Change wetlands Benefits Adaptation (5) Structure-rich, regenerative agriculture builds healthy Ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change must become soils, keeps water in the landscape, and provides nu- EbA a central pillar of nature conservation and holistic ecosystem trient-rich food
management. Absolute priority must be given to such measures Sources: All 3 images are copyright-free provided as water retention, cooling and buffering of microclimatic by pixabay.com fluctuations, and slowing down or stopping drying winds. These measures will lead to success if they are accompanied by an Biodiversity Conservation increase of biomass in near‐natural vegetation in the landscape, soil care, and humus formation.
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(1) The three dimensions of Ecosystem-based Adaptation plus the enabling conditions – the core has the highest priority, mean- ing that you should protect by any means what still is healthy. If that is ensured reduce the pressure on degraded lands and regenerate healthy and functional ecosystems! Our solutions are in nature Adaptation is the process of adjusting ucation, capacity bu to a current or expected changed con- gh ed ildin rou g, r When climate change and its effects dition, e.g. climate and its effects. Peo- th eco ns Restore gn are discussed, the aim is usually to pre- sio iti ple and nature have been adapting to en degraded on m , a vent changes, such as temperature ris- the variability of climate for millions of di n e ecosystems d ing or an increase in the number of ex- e su years, but current rapid changes seem r f th fii l c treme weather events, from becoming l ie to outpace their coping mechanisms. a n le t excessively great. The main measures r The creation of protective structures, b Reduce e a s to achieve this include a reduced re- n o such as dikes (to ward off excessive E human pressure u r lease of greenhouse gases into the at- c 3 amounts of water) or water collection on ecosystems e s mosphere and the binding of more CO2 basins (to retain water for dry periods) from the atmosphere into vegetation. may at first seem plausible. However, Also, geoengineering technologies, these «hard» or «grey» measures often which intervene with the earth’s bio- involve excessively high financial and Conserve geochemical cycles and thus mitigate ecological costs. An ecosystem-based existing functional climate change, are being discussed «green» approach, on the other hand, ecosystems despite the manifold risks. uses the natural properties and pro- However, humanity has not yet suc- cesses of ecosystems by protecting, ceeded in changing its economic and sustainably managing, or restoring lifestyle patterns in such a way so that them. These measures are significant- 4 the above-mentioned goals (less emis- ly less expensive and, in the best case, sion / more absorption of CO2) could more effective than «grey» measures, even be partially achieved. In the last since strengthening ecosystems simul- decade it has become increasingly taneously promotes a greater number obvious that the goal of preventing of ecosystem services. climate change is no longer sufficient. Part of the ecosystem approach is pro- Instead, it is clear that we have already moting the no-regret measures, which been deeply involved in the process of provide a useful way of dealing with experiencing climate change and that uncertainties. They are worth imple- we need to adapt. Thus, both objec- menting, no matter the actual develop- tives – climate change mitigation and ments, because the resulting improve- 1 5 adaptation – should simultaneously be ments still bring benefits or at least do pursued. no harm. 10 11 zation of water level in the lakes and adapt to climatic stresses. In 2011, an flooding the surrounding peatlands, experimental forest plantation with Examples restoration of fish spawning grounds, a mixed composition of tree species and reproduction of wetland vegeta- was planted on the territory of Shat- of EbA measures tion. skyi educational and research for- Furthermore, there were two more estry. In Polissya forestry (quarter 59, similar projects implemented in 2000 section 19), around 5600 seedlings on the wetlands of Lakes Pulemetske were planted on a plot area of 0.7 ha and Ostrivyanske, also financed by with nine rows of hanging birch and EECONET Action Fund. After the in- 1 one row of Scots pine. The atypical stallation of a water overflow structure (1) New planting scheme with pine and birch planting scheme was chosen pri- Several environmental problems in the Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve on the lakes Pulemetske and Ostrivy- species as a measure of cooling, fire preven- marily to control the spread of root are caused by human intervention in the natural hydrological regime anske, there was a large increase in the tion, and pest control © Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve rot. Additionally, this mixing scheme of this area due to the implementation of a large-scale draining wet- water content of the coastal strip (es- helps prevent fires by retaining mois- lands campaign launched in 1954. This campaign was further devel- pecially on the east coast). As a result, Luky and Peremut in the 19th century. ture and shading and therefore con- oped within the framework of the state land reclamation program a nesting area for birds of the wetland As a result, artificial drainage of water tributes to increasing the resilience of back in 1961. complex has enlarged and their food base was enriched. In 2001, a colony of from the lake appeared. In 2019, due ecosystems to the negative effects of white-winged tern (Chlidonias leucop- to the increase in average daily tem- climate change. teraTemm.) and black tern (C. niger) peratures and decrease in precipita- was noticed there for the first time. tion in the summer period, lake Svitiaz Overall, the implemented renaturali- began to intensively shallow. There- sation measures have significantly in- fore, an issue of eliminating runoff in “We have to change our thinking: On the one hand, we creased the capacity of the mentioned the canal, which is connecting Lake lake complexes for wetland bird spe- Svitiaz with Lakes Luky and Peremut, have to preserve all wetlands that are still in their natu- cies. Additionally, due to restoring the became acute. For this purpose, in ral states. On the other hand, we have to rewet drained natural flooding of these ecosystems, the same year, within the framework peatlands and establish alternative land-use practices their vulnerability to climate stresses of the regional ecological program of has become lower while their ability to Volyn region «Ecology 2016-2020», the to secure the diverse functions of wetlands for human- fulfill their climate regulating function, floodgate-regulator of the main canal 2 kind and nature.” as well as to provide other ecosystem connecting lakes Svitiaz and Luky-Per- services to the local population, has emut was repaired. The restoration (2) Water retention facility on the drainage Laureate of the Right Livelihood Award, Succow channel between lakes Pulemetske and Os- Prof. em. Dr. Michael Succow, improved. of elements of the hydro-technical Foundation, Greifswald, Germany trivyanske – a hybrid adaptation option The problem of decreasing water lev- construction allowed preventing the © Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve els in local water bodies also affected eliminating and preventing them. One cial importance as a stop for migratory outflow of water into lakes Luky and There are no water bodies on the ter- Although this area is experimental, of such ways is the implementation of birds. the pearl of the Shatskyi Biosphere Peremut and to increase water level in ritory of the biosphere reserve, which foresters have already started to no- adaptation measures. After installing a spillway structure, the Reserve ‒ Lake Svitiaz. Since it was an Svitiaz. haven’t been affected by drainage tice its effectiveness: the soil has According to the “Program of measures ecological parameters of the wetlands endorheic lake in the past, its water It is also worth mentioning an inter- reclamation. Nowadays, they are all been enriched with organic matter and characterized by drainage water intake. for establishing a network of protected have improved – the water level was level fluctuated naturally. However, to esting experiment conducted by lo- forest stands have become better es- The drainage basins of many lakes have areas and renaturalization of wetlands restored and stabilized and the previ- prevent flooding, especially in the vil- cal foresters, which focused on the tablished than comparable coniferous decreased, leading to their degrada- in Polissya”, adopted by the Ukraini- ously drained wetlands were filled with lage of Svitiaz, a 3 km long canal was introduction and increase of the pro- monoculture plantations. tion. Drainage of peat bogs, togeth- an government in 1995, the Shatskyi water. This contributed to restoring dug to connect Lake Svitiaz with Lakes portion of deciduous tree species to er with the transformation of annual Lake region was selected as the first wetland vegetation and increasing the and perennial water regime and water site in Ukraine for the restoration of number of wetland birds, including rare balance, contributed to the changes degraded wetlands. The first project and highly rare ones (e.g. aquatic war- “Adaptation becomes an integral part of our life, and new in local climate, making it much drier: dedicated to the renaturalisation of bler (Acrocephalus paludicola), gray nature-based approaches to adaptation, including ecosystem- atmospheric droughts, wind erosion, such ecosystems ‒ “Renaturalization crane (Grus grus), as well as to improv- based, are now in high demand in Ukraine. An important task and heatwaves have become typical of the wetland complex of Lake Kry- ing their food base. of our project is showing people in the biosphere reserves and for the area of the Biosphere Reserve. mno and its surrounding swamps and The second project dedicated to the Therefore, all the preconditions for peatlands’’ – was implemented in 1998 renaturalisation of wetland ecosystems beyond, by the implementation of pilot adaptation projects the emergence and development of with the financial support of EECONET in the Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve was in agriculture, forestry, urban environment, and wetland negative processes on the drained Action Fund based in the Netherlands. implemented in 2000 and aimed to management, a more sustainable way of adaptation in the lands have been formed. Rapid climate About 587 hectares of the territory improve the hydrological conditions of change in the last decades has inten- of Lake Krymno and 440 hectares of the lake complexes of Liutzymer and long run by using an ecosystem approach” sified the manifestation of these pro- wetlands were renaturalized within the Velyke Chorne lakes and its surround- Ph.D. Anatoliy Smaliychuk, EbA-Ukraine project coordinator, Michael Succow Foundation cesses in the Biosphere Reserve and framework of this project. This area was ing swamps. The main goals of this / Lviv University increased the necessity to find ways of selected as a pilot area due to its cru- project’s implementation were stabili-
12 13 Multilevel Governance for Adaptation “Ukraine’s legal and political framework offers a solid The previous sections have shown that the impacts of climate basis for biosphere reserves to bring in their experience change can already be observed in Ukraine. Extensive data col- and vision on adaptation to climate change. But they still lection and analysis draw a clear picture of large-scale changes which need to be addressed by simultaneous mitigation and need to increase their visibility and further emphasize adaptation measures. their roles as drivers of change” However, efficient measures require implementation on differ- Iryna Holovko, board member of the NGO Ecoaction, Ukraine ent levels of governance, namely on the national, regional, and municipal levels. In this context and along with other policies, the principle of subsidiarity needs to be applied to advance suc- cessful multilevel governance of climate change adaptation in Ukraine.
This principle implies that action The project “Ecosystem-based Adap- analyses and to elaborate respective but also to enhance the visibility of persons, implementation periods, fi- should be taken at the closest possi- tation (EbA) to Climate Change and action plans in the field of climate Ukrainian biosphere reserves and nancing instruments and conditions ble level to the ultimate receivers of Regional Development by Empow- change adaptation. their crucial role in the adaptation to as well as efficiency indicators. Over- the policy. erment of Ukrainian Biosphere Re- The MENR reinstated the working climate change on the national level. all, regional strategies and action Respective measures ideally comprise serves” (EbA Ukraine) addresses all group on the Strategy in October On the regional level, all Ukrainian plans are, in terms of their territorial a wide range of activities on each level, three levels of governance through 2020 after having completed its inter- regions work out their respective Re- scope and regulatory subject, effi- namely: various activities. nal restructuring process. gional (Sustainable) Development cient instruments to implement eco- system-based adaptation to climate •• creation of working groups with On the national level, the project Members of the EbA Ukraine project Strategies, which include detailed Ac- change in the regions and biosphere sectoral experts; closely cooperates with the Ministry – Anatoliy Smaliychuk (Michael Suc- tion Plans. For the partner biosphere 2 of Ecology and Natural Resources reserves, four Regional Development reserves. •• development of strategies, pro- cow Foundation/Ivan Franko Nation- (MENR). One of its main purposes is Strategies with respective Action The majority of the four above-men- (2) Maria Khrystetska (Shatskyi Biosphere Re- grammes, and projects for adapta- al University Lviv), Galina Stryamets to contribute to the development of Plans are applicable. tioned Strategies and Action Plans serve) speaking at a meeting in the Ministry of tion to climate change; (Roztochya Biosphere Reserve), Ser- Energy and Environment of Ukraine the Ukrainian Strategy for Adaptation hii Kubrakov (Desnianskyi Biosphere These Regional Strategies and Action make references to climate change © K. Tugai •• adoption of specific legal acts; to Climate Change until 2030. This Reserve) and Vitaliy Turych (Shatskyi Plans cover a wide range of differ- (except the Draft Strategy of Sumy • • stakeholder involvement, with par- strategy primarily aims to include in- Biosphere Reserve) are part of the ent sectors and strategic actions, e.g. oblast). Various projects which are of the natural complex in the Lviv ticular regard for the local popula- dicators of a situation analysis and to working group. Due to their presence identification of trends and challenges included in the respective Action region (project 4.3.1.1) tion; define a suitable format for cooper- in the group, they are able not only of socio-economic development, as- Plans can potentially contribute to •• implementation and monitoring ation with the regions of Ukraine to to contribute their research findings sessment of the nature reserve fund, ecosystem-based adaptation to cli- •• Working out of management plans activities. perform sectoral risk and vulnerability and lessons learned from the project, and SWOT-analysis of the region and mate change. The examples of these for the sub-basin of the Desna Riv- its financial and innovation potential. projects are as follows: er and the sub-basin of the Dnieper The strategies include the Environ- •• Creation of an ecological frame- River within the borders of the mental Report, which is subject to work and sustainable development Sumy region (project 3.2.1) public hearings and thus allows all interested persons to bring in their Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve comments and suggestions, including • those on the projects, which may have • Development Strategy for Volyn Region (until 2027) potentially negative effects on the en- Desnianskyi Biosphere Reserve vironment. •• Sustainable Development Strategy for Chernihiv Region (until 2027) While strategies define overarch- •• Regional Development Strategy for Sumy Region (until 2027, Draft) ing development goals, action plans are instruments for realisation of the Biosphere Reserve “Roztochya” 1 strategies in a medium-term perspec- •• Development Strategy for Lviv Region (2021-2027) (1) Project kick-off hosted by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine in 2018. tive (3 to 4 years). They usually include © Anna Kovbasniuk specific tasks (projects), responsible 14 15 “Changing conditions of the biota and the need to change Multilevel Governance the way we do agriculture are the two things that I am concerned about with climate change. There is still time for Adaptation and opportunity to adapt to climate change in a way that will benefit both nature and agriculture. It’s worth considering the worst-case scenarios and, as long as climatic conditions allow - the best choices for nature will be the most advantageous for people in the long term.”
Ph.D. Olesia Petrovych, Chief specialist, Department of Protected Areas, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine
Continued from p. 15
•• Design of projects for re-naturali- setting and achieving climate change interests within a particular area. In sation of meliorated hydromorpho- mitigation goals. At the same time, the municipality of Shatsk, integrated logical soils and degraded areas in it also includes climate change re- spatial planning has been already ex- the Volyn region (project 5.3.3.1) silience assessment and adaptation ercised in a pilot project. The impor- measures. When officially joining tance of healthy ecosystems and the •• Support of organic farming in Cher the Covenant of Mayors, signatories necessity of their conservation in the nihiv region with consideration of commit to developing a Sustainable region have already been reflected in the connection between land use Energy (and Climate) Action Plan (SE- the proposed plan. It will serve as a and climate change (project 4.2) CAP) within two years. Local munici- good basis for ensuring an efficient Still, there is a high need to introduce palities joining the Covenant include connection between natural ecosys- an ecosystem-based approach to ad- not only cities and towns but also tems and climate change adaptation aptation to climate change into these rural amalgamated communities. In during further steps. 2018, 16 communities in Ukraine had strategic documents and to consid- As demonstrated in this section, SECAPs in place, while in 2020 there er the crucial role of biosphere re- there are various strategic processes were already 156 with 83 of them ad- serves for its implementation. As of and initiatives on all three governance dressing adaptation to climate change now, only the Lviv Regional Strate- levels in Ukraine with the potential in their SECAPs. gy mentions the Biosphere Reserve for biosphere reserves to actively Roztochya located on its territory. The example of the town Shostka, participate. For successful contribu- Other biosphere reserves still need located close to the Desnianskyi tions to policy-making, however, they to raise visibility and to be recognised Biosphere Reserve, demonstrates need to strengthen and consolidate for their activities and importance for that approaches to climate change their crucial role as drivers of change. the region. adaptation often include organiza- Moreover, adaptation to climate tional, architectural, and engineer- change is not clearly defined as a ing measures as well as information campaigns. An ecosystem-based goal in any of the regional Strategies (1) Swamp forests and forest mires on the ter- or Action Plans analysed within this approach, however, is still missing in ritory provide manifold ecosystem services, these documents and remains an im- including, water retention and thus flood project. It is worth again emphasiz- protection, as well as cooling of the land- ing that biosphere reserves can and portant task for the future. scape © Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve should be strong drivers of change Another promising instrument for contributing knowledge and practical applying EbA on the local level has experience to the field. been recently introduced by the EU. On the level of Ukrainian municipal- The Ukraine Local Empowerment, ities, the main framework for adap- Accountability and Development tation actions is the European Union Programme (U-LEAD) supports initiative “Covenant of Mayors for Ukrainian municipalities on their way Energy and Climate”. The platform/ towards integrated spatial planning. initiative brings together local gov- This approach aims at the compre- 1 ernments to voluntarily commit to hensive consideration of different
16 17 Ukrainian–German Cooperation
Ecosystem-based Adaptation Train- ecosystems.” The jury, composed of Its general aim is to serve as a knowl- ing Week in Eberswalde, Germany representatives from the Michael Suc- edge hub for anyone interested in the cow Foundation, HNEE/CEEM, and the EbA approach and related concepts 2 On 9-13 December 2019, 15 represen- three partner biosphere reserves, en- being introduced, discussed, and im- tatives of five Ukrainian UNESCO Bio- couraged residents of the Roztochya, plemented in the three Ukrainian bio- sphere Reserves met in Eberswalde and sphere reserves. The website will pro- Shatskyi, and Desnianskyi Biosphere initiated a dialogue to mutually support vide the following: Reserves to submit their ideas on the understanding of Ecosystem-based •• Introduction of the EbA approach Adaptation to climate change. The small-scale pilot projects to demon- to a wider audience and interested training was organized and conducted strate ecosystem-based adaptation in parties within the region. their region. By the end of the deadline, by the Centre for Econics and Ecosys- •• Presentation of EbA activities. tem Management with the support of the jury received 29 applications show- •• Sharing of findings and knowledge the Michael Succow Foundation. ing a strong interest and motivation of accumulated during the project im- The participants and organizers set out the biosphere reserves´ inhabitants. plementation. to mutually explore, discuss, and under- Finally, nine proposals (three per bio- Today, the website gets updated on the stand practical options for the imple- sphere reserve) were selected for the mentation of corresponding measures. developments of the project. The find- 3 funding up to € 10.000 per project. 4 The training week comprised diverse ings include a broad range of written The project ideas cover a wide range of formats – from lectures and excursions and other, also downloadable, materi- to workshop-like group work, the elab- ecosystems and activities, such as re- als, such as maps, tables, or brochures. oration of a common statement paper, wetting of mires, reforestation, organic and the co-creation of own criteria for farming, or restoration of soil fertility. effective ecosystem-based measures in The EbA-Ukraine project team eagerly biosphere reserves. looks forward to supporting the up- coming implementation of the ideas Idea Contest: “How to adapt to cli- and is sincerely grateful to all partici- mate change with the help of natu- pants of the competition! ral ecosystems” Project Website 5 From 1st March until 24th April 2020, the three biosphere reserves Roz- The website on Ecosystem-based Ad- tochya, Shatskyi, and Desnianskyi had aptation to Climate Change in Ukraine a chance to participate in an idea con- (https://eba-ukraine.net) was devel- test on the topic “How to adapt to cli- oped and launched in 2019, both in 1 mate change with the help of natural Ukrainian and English languages.
“Cooperation with qualified experts from Germany and Ukraine provides an opportunity to gain new knowledge and skills and to use them in practice. It also enhances the visibility of the Biosphere Reserve and provides a 6 good basis for further work towards climate adaptation.”
press secretary of the Shatskyi National Nature Park (1) Idea Contest Flyer (3) Guided excursion at the re-naturalised Ser- (5) Launch of the idea contest (24th February Oksana Havros, 2020) in the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy Designer: Nazar Tuziak nitz valley spring fen © K. Mack and Environment © Kyrill Tugai (2) Workshop session at Eberswalde Universi- (4) Guided excursion at Treuenbrietzen post- ty for Sustainable Development forest fire site (6) EbA-Ukraine project website © K. Mack © A. Dichte © Dilfuza Yuldasheva 18 19 “This project is one of the most relevant, covering research issues, raising awareness, and creating examples of adaptation measures to climate change. I hope that the results of the project and the developed climate change adaptation plans for the three biosphere reserves will serve as models for many regions of Ukraine, because the demonstrated approaches and methods are understandable and available for practical implementation”
Ph.D. Olesia Petrovych, Chief specialist, Department of Protected Areas, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine
This brochure has been edited by:
Biosphere Reserves and Climate Adaptation ‘Biosphere Reserves and Climate Adaptation’ has been elaborated in the frame of the Ukrainian-German project «Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) to climate change (CC) and regional sustainable development by empowerment of Ukrainian Biosphere Reserves». It consists of two volumes. Each volume is an open-access journal for Ukrainian biosphere reserve residents as well as any other interested parties. Each volume will be available in Ukrainian and English languages. For a digital version, please, visit our website: https://eba-ukraine.net Volume 1: “Natural Ecosystems” Volume 2: “Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation”
Administration of the Shatskyi Biosphere Reserve vul. Zhovtneva 61 Svitiaz village, Shatsk rayon, Volyn oblast 81070 Ukraine Authors: Maria Khrystetska, Angela Dichte, Anatoliy Smaliychuk, Kevin Mack, Ina Rohmann, Dilfuza Yuldasheva, Pierre Ibisch
Svitiaz, 2021