Climate Change Adaptation Measures Toolbox

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This page provides a comprehensive and easy to use toolbox of possible adaptation measures. Please select one or more of the group filters below to obtain detailed information on the measures of interest.

Please find more information in the ICPDR Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change.

Promotion and application of methodologies and standards

  • Promotion and application of methodologies and standards for climate-proofing infrastructure projects and integrating climate considerations into EIA and SEA procedures; need to consolidate and generalize present findings and to study feedbacks

Promotion of sustainable/climate-friendly agriculture and forestry

  • The conversion of forests that do not suit the given habitats and contain non-native tree species

  • Assurance of buffer zones around the sensitive habitats

Protection and restoration of water retention areas, including natural reservoirs

  • Creation or restoration of retention areas to increase water retention properties of the landscape

  • I)ncrease water retention capacity of wetlands

  • Provision of further information on natural retention (e.g. the appropriate strategy consists of three steps: retaining, storing and draining; therefore protection and restoration of infiltration areas in the upper parts of the catchment and conservation and restoration of wetlands are crucial for the water retention)

  • Increasing natural retention and storage capacity (e.g. construction of artificial side channels, reconnection of old river arms and increasing water transport and retention capacity of floodplains): the storage effect of vegetation, soil, ground and wetlands has an important mitigating effect particularly in minor or medium-scale floods

Protection of natural systems

  • Supporting autonomous adaptation of the organisms and ecosystems, for example by maintaining genetic diversity

  • Decreasing the pressure of other anthropogenic factors to biodiversity

  • Protect extra endangered species and communities by adopting protection plans, establishing a gene bank of endemic, threatened and endangered species as well as reintroducing native species