February 2010: The European Environment Agency has published the second message in its series of ’10 messages for 2010,’ which focuses on protected areas, and highlights links with climate change.

The messages of the series provide a short assessment of a specific ecosystem or biodiversity-related issue in Europe for the International Year of Biodiversity. According to the second message, Europe is facing rapid environmental changes driven by: increasing competition for land from housing development, transport and energy infrastructure, agriculture and forestry; over-exploitation of natural resources; pollution; and climate change. In this context, the message underlines the essential role of European protected areas for healthy, functioning and resilient ecosystems.
The message also notes that climate change has rendered insufficient the establishment of corridors for species to move between ‘islands of biodiversity,’ recommending that biodiversity conservation must be integrated into territorial planning to maintain green infrastructure and ensure that protected areas can contribute fully to maintaining the health of ecosystems in the wider landscape. [Message 2]