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WHY IS NATURE RESTORATION
CRITICAL FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION
IN THE EU?
Publication date: December 2022
Authors: Gabrielle Aubert (IEEP)
Climate change is exacerbating the occurrence and strength of natural disasters, the effects of which are
increasingly being felt in the EU and globally. Climate-related extremes such as floods, droughts, forest fires,
temperature extremes, and landslides post serious risks to human health and can cause major economic
losses.
While average annual losses from climate-related extremes in the EU were already estimated at €14.5 billion
annually between 2011 and 2020, they are becoming even more frequent and expensive [1]. The 2021
summer floods in Germany, France, Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg caused €46 billion in damages,
and took the lives of 240 people [2].
Nature restoration is critical for reducing climate change-related risks by reducing
human exposure to climate related hazards and the vulnerability of ecosystems
and biodiversity to the impacts of these hazards. In addition, it helps build capacity
to adapt to these impacts and can in some cases reduce the frequency and
intensity of climate-related risks [3].
Nature restoration measures to reduce climate related risks can often be more cost-effective in the long-term
than grey solutions based on concrete and metal [4], particularly considering the delivery of wider co-benefits.
Moreover, restoration has the potential to reduce the severity and frequency of key climate related risks.
NATURE RESTORATION IS CRUCIAL TO REDUCE THE INTENSITY AND
FREQUENCY OF FLOODS IN THE EU
Wetlands and freshwater ecosystems
The Dutch ‘room for rivers’
Restoring wetlands and freshwater ecosystems
programme
reduces flood risk by increasing the ability of nature
to act as a sponge
- increasing water absorption
The Dutch ‘room for rivers’ programme
and storage. In Europe, enhancing floodwater
reduced flood frequency and exposure, with
retention areas of rivers can decrease flood exposure
benefits valued at around €2 billion of
by up to 70% [4].
avoided economic damage in case of
breaching and around €70,000 a year from
reduced flood frequency [5].
Why is nature restoration critical for climate adaptation in the EU?
Bonn, Germany, Photo by Matthew Jarvis
Forests
Restoring forests can reduce flood risk by increasing
the ecosystem’s capacity to
absorb and retain
water in its vegetation and soil [6]. This can also
reduce the risk of other hazards like landslides.
Urban areas
Urban restoration reduces flood risk of urban areas
as green and water elements are
permeable
surfaces which provide an additional capacity to
cope during rainfall events [7, 8].
Agricultural areas
Agricultural restoration can contribute to reducing flood risk to agriculture and downstream areas by
reducing surface runoff and increasing groundwater infiltration [9].
NATURE RESTORATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE FOREST FIRE RISK
Restoration measures and other nature-based solutions can prevent and reduce fire risk through fire-smart
management plans, policies, and practices. Passive and active restoration measures help re-establish
forest
diversity and fire resilience.
NATURE RESTORATION INCREASES CITY RESILIENCE TO EXTREME HEAT
AND REGULATE MICRO-CLIMATES
Urban green spaces and vegetation help reduce temperatures and the urban heat island effect. The cooling
effect of trees through shading and transpiration can
cool the land surface temperature of cities in Europe
by up to 12°C [10].
NATURE RESTORATION INCREASES ECOSYSTEMS’ RESILIENCE AGAINST
DROUGHTS
Restored water ecosystems will have a better storing capacity in
LIFE Endure against coastal
periods of heavy rainfall, thus avoiding flooding and
delivering
erosion
fresh water in periods of drought. For example, the
restoration of wetlands as a managed aquifer recharge can
The LIFE Endure project tested
enhance the drought resilience of agricultural land and
nature-based methods to improve
therefore safeguard agricultural production [11].
dune resilience to climate change
impacts on 110km of coastline and
NATURE RESTORATION REDUCES THE RISK
3,300 hectares of dunes in the UK,
OF TERRESTRIAL AND COASTAL EROSION
which will generate savings of
around €312 million compared to
Coastal sand dunes provide natural barriers against marine
hard engineering solutions [12].
flooding, storms, and erosion.
2
References
1. EEA Economic losses from climate-related extremes in Europe. 2022.
2. Krameer, K and Ware, J (2021) Counting the cost 2021 - A year of climate breakdown. Christian Aid, London.
3. McVittie, A., et al., Ecosystem-based solutions for disaster risk reduction: Lessons from European applications of ecosystem-
based adaptation measures. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 2018. 32: p. 42-54.
4. EEA, Nature-based solutions in Europe: Policy, knowledge and practice for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.
2021, European Environment Agency: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
5. Asselman, N. and F. Klijn, Making room for rivers: quantification of benefits from a flood risk perspective. E3S Web of
Conferences, 2016. 7: p. 12001.
6. EEA, Water-retention potential of Europe's forests. A European overview to support natural water-retention measures. 2015,
European Environment Agency: Copenhagen.
7. Ferreira, C.S.S., et al., Nature-Based Solutions for Flood Mitigation and Resilience in Urban Areas. 2021, Springer International
Publishing. p. 59-78.
8. Zölch, T., et al., Regulating urban surface runoff through nature-based solutions – An assessment at the micro-scale.
Environmental Research, 2017. 157: p. 135-144.
9. Antolini, F., et al., Flood Risk Reduction from Agricultural Best Management Practices. 2020. 56(1): p. 161-179.
10. Schwaab, J., et al., The role of urban trees in reducing land surface temperatures in European cities. Nature Communications,
2021. 12(1): p. 6763.
11. Pinke, Z., Long decline in soil moisture urges restoration of European wetlands. 2022: Global Land Programme.
12. LIFE Endure Proje
ct, https://www.interreg2seas.eu/nl/endure.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however
those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the
European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held
responsible for them.
These policy briefs were written by IEEP and
Ecologic Institute in the Think Sustainable Europe
Network in response to the proposed EU nature
restoration law.
