MaGICNEWS no. 2 06/2018 interreg-central.eu/MaGICLandscapes | facebook.com/CEMaGICLandscapes MaGICLandscapes IN THIS ISSUE: Designing a transnational framework for green infrastructure assessment | Page 1 From transnational level towards GI alongside the River Kyjovka | Page 2 Investigating the Green and Blue Infrastructure of the Italian Piedmont region | Page 4 DESIGNING A TRANSNATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENT The Leibniz Institute for Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) is coordinating the framework design for Green Infrastructure assessment. It aims to identify the specific needs regarding Green Infrastructure (GI) at all spatial levels and how GI management approaches can support territorial policy objectives. The second aim is to develop a remote sensing-based methodology for the assessment of GI in Central Europe. REFLECTIONS ON GREEN RU LT INFRASTRUCTURE IN LAWS AND POLICIES Where is GI currently stated BY within national laws and policies of the MaGICLandscapes partner NL countries? Is GI already mentioned PL in EU regulations and programmes? DE If yes, in which context? Not DÜBENER HEIDE only was the simple reference of TRI-BORDER AREA CZ-DE-PL KARKONOSZE/KRKONOŠE the term “Green Infrastructure” BE decisive for the inventory of laws UA CZ and policies. It was also analysed KYJOVSKO to what extent single elements of THAYATAL GI are already considered and at SK best managed by the respective WALD-/WEINVIERTEL sectors. FR AT The result is a comprehensive HU compilation of GI-relevant laws, CH RO policies and regulations for each partner country and the SI UPPER PO HR PO HILLS European level. It demonstrates PLAIN the relationships between the GI AROUND CHIERI IT approach and existing planning policies and strategies and how BA CS multiple sector objectives can be achieved using the GI approach. NUTS / Administrative boundaries: GISCO - Eurostat (European Commission) STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS ± © EuroGeographics AL MK ON ASSESSMENT NEEDS Overview of MaGICLandscapes case study areas | Map: IOER The MaGICLandscapes partners consulted stakeholders in their across Central European territories. • to promote the linkage between respective countries to identify Therefore, the benefits of the GI green and ‘grey’ infrastructure specific needs for the assessment and the multifunctional approach (e.g. green spaces around of GI. The term and concept of GI, of this concept towards more settlements, streets, railway lines already well established in the UK sustainability need to be further etc.), and elswhere, is not very well- promoted. Stakeholders also • to focus more on GI in (peri-) known by administrative bodies mentioned the need urban areas and Page 1 MaGICNEWS no. 2, 06/2018 MaGICNEWS no. 2, 06/2018 • to plan and assess GI land use class: Is it GI or not? After policies as well as EU regulations independently of administrative that, they compared the CORINE or programmes. Furthermore, it boundaries (and bodies). data with the satellite images will cover the needs for a GI from the EU’s Earth Observation approach in general and especially ASSESSMENT OF SPECIFIC GI Programme Copernicus. To test in the respective regional or local ELEMENTS VIA GIS AND REMOTE that the land cover and land use contexts of our partner regions. information derived from CORINE SENSING As next steps of Work Package 1 and satellite images is really The transnational assessment the responsible partner IOER will the same as on the ground. The of GI is carried out by means of make the large-scale transnational partners also tested the results by GIS (Geographical Information assessment of GI also applicable visiting selected areas in the field System). All partners investigated for the regional and local level. (ground-truthing). CORINE Land Cover data (CLC) A practice-oriented manual from 2012 as a basis for the Currently a transnational Handbook will guide the user through the identification of GI. CORINE stands for GI assessment is being assessment of the structure and for “Coordination of Information compiled. Beside basic definitions types of GI. Within the manual case on the Environment” and allows of “Green Infrastructure” or studies demonstrate the methods for the application of a consistent “Ecosystem Services” it will provide used and results gathered. and comparable dataset in the practice-oriented information MaGICLandscapes partner countries. about the relationship of GI to The project partners defined each national and regional laws or FROM TRANSNATIONAL LEVEL TOWARDS GI ALONGSIDE THE RIVER KYJOVKA: 2ND PARTNER MEETING IN KYJOV (CZ) ON 16TH AND 17TH MAY 2018 The MaGICLandscapes project partners experienced two full days of interesting and constructive discussions about Green Infrastructure (GI) in Central Europe and about its visualisation and communication on regional and local level on their recent meeting in South Moravia. The Leibniz Institute for Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) is coordinating the transnational assessment of Green Infrastructure which is the central objective of the first work package (see page 1). The partners presented their progress and experiences gained so far within the GI assessment of their case study areas. It became obvious that GI is defined and classified differently in these areas. In some cases the CLC class is not describing the “actual” land cover type detected in the field during the ground-truthing that was The 2nd MaGICLandscapes partner meeting took place in Kyjov (CZ) carried out to check the detected Photo: Ashis K. Saha GI elements in the field. Dübener Heide Nature Park over were outlined and the task sharing The consortium has developed a the Karkonosze Mountains to the Po among the partners discussed. catalogue of CLC classes which Hills around Chieri near Turin have describe GI in the respective case been produced. The University of Vienna provided study areas. Thus, some classes an approach of assessing the definitely represent GI in this STARTING IN SUMMER 2018: WORK functional values of certain GI region but in the other regions this PACKAGES 2 AND 3 elements by means of three class is not considered to be GI – it During the partner meeting in staged key-factors: classification is dependent on the local context Kyjov the upcoming functionality regarding broader habitat and pre-conditions. Regional maps and public benefit assessment of types, determination of the showing the network of GI from the GI and the strategy development hemerobic status and the Page 2 MaGICNEWS no. 2, 06/2018 MaGICNEWS no. 2, 06/2018 Left: Libor Ambrozek, former Czech Minister of the Environment and currently working for the White Carpathians protected landscape area, presented valuable GI elements in and around Kyjov to the project partners; right: Sheep and goats grazing on extensively managed grasslands with fruit trees | Photos: Anke Hahn provision of ecosystem services. (ENEA) introduced the tasks and needs (strengths, weaknesses, This assessment approach will deliverables within the public threats, opportunities) for green be tested out in each case study benefit assessment of GI and infrastructure investment. area. The partners are requested development of a strategy/action During conversations in small to compile a regional catalogue of plan on how to implement GI on working groups and face-to-face biotope types of their case study local level. the MaGICLandscapes project area and to view the appropriate The first step is to develop a draft partners have developed more geodata they want to use for the tool to assess the public benefits of detailed working steps in their functionality analysis in their green infrastructure which could case study areas. On a field trip case study area. The assessment be, for example, more space for from the neighbouring village approach will be tested in the case recreation, improved air quality Bohuslavice back to Kyjov study areas during the summer. The and shade during hot summer the partners viewed the local test results and experiences will days or reduction of flooding green infrastructure network be discussed at the next partner risk etc. This draft tool will be of hedgerows,arable lands and meeting on 7th and 8th November presented to and tested with extensively used meadows 2018 in the National Park Thayatal. regional stakeholders in each case connected to the river Kyjovka as The Italian National Agency for study area. In the end the public important elements of local green New Technologies, Energy and benefit assessment tool should and blue GI. Sustainable Economic Development help to identify local specific The MaGICLandscapes Partner consortium | Photo: Anke Hahn Page 3 MaGICNEWS no. 2, 06/2018 MaGICNEWS no. 2, 06/2018 INVESTIGATING GREEN AND BLUE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE ITALIAN PIEDMONT REGION How and from what is the current Green Infrastructure (GI) along the River Po comprised? Where are the biodiversity hot spots and where are localities where ecological functionality needs to be improved? What are the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of the existing GI network in this region? The Italian project partners of MaGICLandscapes are striving for the answers to these questions. This article is describes the Italian case study areas which are both covering valuable parts of the blue and green infrastructure network along the River Po, the major river of the Piedmont region and Northern Italy. MAKE PEOPLE AWARE OF THE network that passes through agricultural exploitation are the ECONOMIC VALUE OF ECOSYSTEM