Exploring nature-based solutions : the role of green infrastructure in mitigating the impacts of weather- and climate change-related natural hazards

As a follow-up to earlier European Environment Agency (EEA) research into the role of green infrastructure (GI) networks and the multiple ecosystem services provided (EEA, 2011a and 2014), the objective of this study is to explore and demonstrate how GI contributes to mitigating adverse effects of extreme weather- and climate‑related events. Weather- and climate-related hazards including extreme precipitation, floods, wet mass movement and storm surges are among the costliest and deadliest natural hazards in Europe and globally (EEA, 2011b; UNISDR, 2015). Human‑induced climate change, in combination with other anthropogenic pressures such as land use conversion, has altered the functions of ecological systems, and has consequently modified the flow of ecosystem services in terms of their scale, timing and location (Nelson et al., 2013). Future climate change will very likely further exacerbate these effects (IPCC, 2014). This report focuses on certain types of extreme events and natural hazards at European scale that will be very likely amplified by ongoing climate change, i.e. landslides, avalanches, floods and storm surges. In addition, the report also touches upon the GI and ecosystem services contributing to global climate regulation. The analysis is carried out using spatially explicit data centred on the physical capacity of ecosystems to deliver services that can mitigate natural hazard risks. Places prone to selected natural hazards have been identified and prioritised according to the 'demand' for risk mitigation services. The report only considers aspects of GI relevant for protection against extreme climate- and weather‑related events; individual GI elements provide other services to society (recreation, timber production or filtration of pollutants, etc.), which are not considered in this study.