The Basque Government has participated in this initiative of the EUROPARC Federation, a series consisting of five episodes on adaptation to climate change in Natural Protected Areas throughout Europe

During its five episodes, conversations are shown with different agents from different areas, professionals belonging to bodies from all over Europe who are already working on the ground and who tell their experience regarding the adaptation of Protected Natural Areas in different ecosystems and climatic zones. The initiative has been promoted by the EUROPARC Federation, a pan-European organisation that brings together institutions from 39 countries dedicated to the management of protected areas and the defence of nature.

“Climate Talks” has relied on the Basque Government as a body that already plans and implements adaptation actions and as an example of how the management of climate action in protected areas can be approached from a regional perspective.

Specifically, in the fourth episode, integrated regional governance is addressed as a key to the resilience of the natural heritage, specifically its Natura 2000 Network, through an interview with Ainhize Butrón Mota, Climate Action Technician of Ihobe. Interventions appear, as well, from the Basque Government's Deputy Minister for Environmental Sustainability, Amaia Barredo, and the Director of Natural Heritage and Climate Change, Adolfo Uriarte.

A change of perspective

“We have to do adaptive planning. To this end, the Basque Government has identified the three most important transformations that must be transferred to society: digital, socio-economic and health and ecological or environmental. We have moved the European Green Deal to a roadmap of our own - the Basque Country Green Deal - at regional and government level, where all the objectives that we must meet by 2030 are included”, said Deputy Minister Barredo in ‘Climate Talks’.

Uriarte emphasizes the idea of the richness of the Basque Country regarding biodiversity. According to the director, “the Basque Government tries to include this axis in all its policies as an important issue; important from the point of view of the territory’s resilience facing climate change. We know that low-stress systems are better able to withstand and respond to impacts, which is why we are committed to these types of policies such as the recent Natural Heritage Conservation Act. ”

The Basque Country is a strategic point for biodiversity at European level. According to Ainhize Butrón, about 35% habitats of interest on the continent are present in the territory: on the Atlantic coast, in the Mediterranean and in mountain areas. “We need to change our perspective. Climate change and biodiversity loss are global challenges. We must have a global, comprehensive and long-term vision to address them”, he says in the documentary.

The Basque Country, in EUROPARC Europe

The Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve was the first Basque space to be accredited as a Sustainable Tourism DestinationI

n 2021, the Urdaibai Biosphere Reserve was accredited as the first sustainable tourist destination in the Basque Country, a recognition awarded by EUROPARC Europe and which represents an important boost for developing tourism, focused on the principles of ecotourism, based on the respect for the environmental, social and economic environment. In addition, it provides the opportunity to raise international awareness about Urdaibai and thus increase support for the balance between its conservation and the sustainable development of the territory, favouring the promotion of the region as a quality, responsible, safe, and reference tourist destination in the Basque Country.

In addition, in October last year, Ihobe actively participated in the European Conference of the EUROPARC Federation, where it shared its progress in pursuing climate action.

In this regard, Ihobe presents a new collection of instruments to promote climate action in the natural heritage, a pioneering collection of tools -methodologies, analysis tools, calculation tools and case studies-, whose objective is to simplify the diagnostic process on the effects of climate change on the natural heritage of the Basque Country.

The collection of instruments, the result of a line of work boosted by the Basque Government and reinforces the thesis that climate action and the protection of biodiversity are compatible, facilitates the integration of the climate perspective in the management documents of the Natura 2000 Network, and offers specific examples for adaptation to the effects of climate change in the management of groups of species such as amphibians or pollinators.

The entire collection is available for consultation and download at the following link: https://www.ihobe.eus/cambio-climatico#kit