Water and forest management in response to climate change ( ForestClim )

1. Water and forest management in response to climate change (ForestClim) Dr Richard Johnson, Mountain Environments, UK

2. ForestClim • Lead Partner: Germany: Research Institute of Forest Ecology and Forestry • Partner countries: Germany, France, Luxembourg, UK, Netherlands • Start: January 2008 • Duration: 5 years

3. Overall objective • Development of transnational forest management strategies • Taking into account predicted climate change scenarios • European forests: economics, protection, environmental benefits and recreation

4. Areas of research • Regionalisation of climate change scenarios • Response of forests to climate change – spatial shifts, risks (fire, disease etc), water regimes, ecology, economic consequences • Water management – water retention in forests, mitigation of flash floods, enhancement of low flows • Stakeholder involvement – oversee for the implementation of the management strategies.

5. Water management • Runoff control to buffer intense rainstorm and rapid snow melt to reduce the risk of flash floods in upland catchments • Groundwater recharge to sustain low flows and reduce the impacts of droughts of water supplies and aquatic ecology • Control of soil erosion to improve water quality and reduce the risk of river and reservoir siltation

6. Mitigation of flood risk • River basin approach • Flood generation processes • Runoff rates in upland catchments • River flow restoration • Land management changes in priority zones • Role of forests

7. Land management • Restoration of native woodlands – in upper catchments and along river banks • Restoration of natural drainage – forest and agricultural drainage, river meander restoration • Restoration of wetlands – upland and floodplain wetlands to increase the storage and buffering of flood flows • Retention of water to reduce flood flows and sustain low flows

8. Potential benefits • Flood risk management • Drought risk management • Ecology and recreation • Water resources – benefits to water supplies, hydropower, river ecology, river erosion by reducing runoff rates and modifying the flow regimes

9. Future needs • Take a drainage basin approach – Water Framework Directive • Integration of land management practices • Technical details for selecting priority areas and quantifying the effects • Cooperation between national, regional or administration areas • Consider all water resources aspects • Involve communities and other stakeholders • Long term funding and support

10. River basin management Reduce risks and improve water resources