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SPEcific ClImate change ForesIght in projeCt design and EIA

Project Leader: Jiricka-Pürrer Alexandra, Project Leader

Duration:: 01.05.2016-31.10.2018

Programme:: Austrian Climate Research Programme (ACRP) - Individual Project

Type of Research: Applied Research

Project partners: Dr. Wachter Büro für Umweltplanung, Hamburg, Wiesnerring 2c, 21035 Hamburg, Germany.
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; Federal Environment Agency, Spittelauer Lände 5, A-1090 Wien, Austria.
Contact person: DI Markus Leitner;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner

Staff: Jiricka-Pürrer Alexandra, Sub Projectleader; Kleinbauer Ingrid, Project Staff (bis 25.02.2023); Czachs Christina, Project Staff

BOKU Research Units: Institute for Landscape Development, Recreation and Conservation Planning; Institute of Meteorology and Climatology

Subproject(s):

Funded by: Klima- und Energiefonds, Leopold-Ungar-Platz 2 / Stiege 1 / 4.OG / Top 142, 1190 Wien, Austria

Abstract: Mainstreaming climate change adaptation into national, provincial and local policies and planning procedures can constitute an essential foundation for the consideration of climate change and implementation of adaptation strategies. EU programmes and policies have already started to re-quire the consideration and integration of climate change. One example is the recent revision of the EU Directive 2014/52/EU on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which requires changes in the EIA practice of the Members States, including Austria. Until now, there are only few practical experiences and examples of incorporating climate change impacts and adaptation into infrastructure project developments subject to EIA in Europe.

SPECIFIC – SPEcific ClImate change ForesIght in projeCt design – aims at providing support in incorporating climate change impacts and adaptation into planning and development of large-scale infrastructure projects subject to EIA at the appropriate levels. It aims to overcome challenges identified in the previous research project envisage-cc (ACRP 5th call) – which represented a first step in examining the ability to integrate climate change adaptation into early project planning and design of large infrastructure projects subject to EIA – and to tackle them as a follow-up project. Whereas, in envisage-cc, the main aim was to broaden Austrian project develop-ers’ knowledge about the challenges arising from climate change for their projects, SPECIFIC will involve additional actor target groups. These were identified in envisage-cc as key players in mainstreaming climate change appropriately in large-scale infrastructure planning subject to EIA. In an actors-based approach, SPECIFC will actively integrate project developers, environ-mental authorities and consultants (EIA assessors/ practitioners).

Dialogue with project developers (within envisage-cc) revealed that the main impacts on projects and project environments due to climate change are recognised at a very abstract level, yet the transfer of this knowledge to the regional and even local planning context still remains a challenge for the different stakeholders involved. Thus, further transdisciplinary knowledge transfer is necessary, as well as additional support for project developers, environmental consultants and public authorities, to consider climate change impacts which have been examined within scientific literature. SPECIFIC will address the challenges and will deal with (and communicate) the uncertainties regarding the incorporation of climate change issues into the development of large-scale infrastructure projects.

Keywords: Climate change; Nature conservation; Landscape planning;; Large scale infrastructure projects; Climate Change adaptation; Impacts of climate change; Strategic Environmental Assessment; Environmental Impact Assessment;