Changing climate means we need continental green corridors
between countries and through bioregions
One of the things I love about Permaculture design is the importance we give to wild areas, what designers call zone 5’s. We include them in back gardens, farms, towns, and villages. The long-term vision is to connect them together to create long corridors that wildlife can move around in. These wild areas are left untouched, we don’t plant them or intervene in any way except to go visit and see what’s going on.
An advantage of having a wild area that is much talked about is the biodiversity that will occupy it. This means that next to our food production areas live the predators of the insects and suchlike that can cause crop problems.
Over the last few decades we have seen climatic changes and they are accelerating. Plants, fungi, animals, and insects find themselves living in conditions to which they are less and less adapted. Where an area is surrounded by intensively farmed fields and especially ones that are treated with pesticides and fungicides the wildlife is trapped and can’t migrate or only with difficulty. Over the next few years, the south of France is predicted to have a climate similar to Barcelona which is 500 km further south. Similarly, Barcelona will come to have a climate similar to Grenada. So wildlife needs a way to migrate from Barcelona to Marseille and from Grenada to Barcelona.
Let us now imagine that we act and put into place long and wide green corridors that connect the south of Spain all the way up through Europe to its more northerly parts. Wildlife that is being stressed by increasing temperatures and droughts can now migrate along these corridors and move further north to find areas to which they are more adapted. These corridors should be a mix of completely wild areas, semi-managed wild areas, and agroforestry-based farms.
Climate change is heating Europe faster than the rest of the world, the European Commission warned that Europe would "have to learn to live with a climate that is 3 degrees warmer". This means that we must act now and as quickly as possible if we want to prevent more biodiversity loss.
Every design element has several functions
The green corridors should surround our urban areas and be incorporated into them. More green space and especially trees in urban contexts have been shown to improve urban climates, children have better educational success, and people in hospitals recover more quickly. Paved and tarmac surfaces have a longer life, buildings need less cooling, and crime is reduced. Where the green corridor merges with urban orchards citizens have access to fruit and nuts.
In rural areas, the green corridors merge with farms that are planted with trees and surrounded by hedges. The latter harbour wildlife, help reduce soil erosion and provide fruits, nuts, and firewood. The tree planting in fields is done following the principles of agroforestry and these provide dappled shade and niches for wildlife. Farms must also switch to no-till practices in order to preserve soils and increase the biodiversity of the soil flora and fauna.
Something that has to change dramatically is how we see a continent and move away from our fixation on the national boundaries we have inherited and which are of no further use. We can move towards seeing things in terms of biogeographic realms which are the broadest division of Earth's land surface.
These are subdivided into bioregions which are defined by watersheds, geology, soil types, human activities and other criteria. The bioregions are further subdivided into ecoregions, the biodiversity of flora, fauna, and ecosystems of an ecosystem being different from a neighbouring one. These divisions are, of course, artificial but at the same time based on the reality of the geology, hydrology, biodiversity, etc that is to be found in them. In this way, we have a very different view of a continent than the one offered by national frontiers which are completely artificial and the result of a series of historical accidents.
These realms and regions aren’t fixed, they change and as we change the climate they change faster. The Afrotropical zone (grey) in the image above is moving north and pushing out the Paleartic zone (red). What was characteristic of a bioregion changes and if the wildlife has nowhere to go except higher up a mountain, where it will eventually be trapped, then it can die off from the region and not be replaced by organisms that are better adapted as they are trapped themselves in their bioregion which is also changing.
Seen through this lens we can more easily envision a continent where the different biogeographic realms, the bioregions, and the ecoregions are all linked together as they were in the past. It is said that in early medieval times, a squirrel could move from Madrid to Moscow without touching the ground. The dense forests have been, for the most part, destroyed and in any case, we have covered huge areas with urban areas, roads, and all the rest. That said there is easily enough space today to link up existing forests, green areas, and parks to create the green corridors that we and our wild neighbours need.
We can tend to have a parochial view of how things are, in Brittany for example the fields are relatively small, often surrounded by hedges and small forests. Central and eastern France on the other hand is more characterised by vast fields with very few hedgerows and parse forests frequented by a lot of hunters. Bretons may feel that they are safe from biodiversity loss and climatic change, in general, thanks to their landscape, this is a dangerous way to think. The vast French agricultural areas present a barrier to wildlife migration and this means that as the climate in Brittany changes new more adapted wildlife will have trouble moving in. Shifting away from this type of parochial view and seeing the continent in terms of shifting biogeographic realms, bioregions, and ecoregions is certainly the way forward.
We have the capacity to create these green corridors, we can work together across national boundaries and diverse cultures. In 2000 Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Monaco created the Via Alpina. In 2010 Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania worked together to create the 2000km Via Dinarica. The main reason for creating these Via was, of course, tourism but the principle stands, we can and must do the same thing for other forms of life. The, unfortunately named, Great Green Wall will eventually stretch over 8000 km of the Sahel and restore 10 million hectares of degraded land. Originally set up to ‘fight the expansion of the Sahara’ the project changed and now focuses on restoring degraded land, creating employment (10 million green jobs by 2030), and ensuring food security. The Algerian Green Dam goes on for 1000km and the Three-North Shelter Forest Program in China will eventually stretch over 4,500 kilometres.
We can start the process at home, leave an area of our gardens wild and convince the neighbours to do the same, link them together. If you are part of a community-supported agriculture group then you can convince and help your farmers to switch to agroforestry and to plant hedges. If you are a member of your local council then you can put into place community-led green corridor creation. If you are a member of a government then push for agricultural and urbanisation policies that include the creation of green corridors.
Please don’t forget that these corridors should be a mix of completely wild areas, semi-managed wild areas, urban green space and agroforestry-based farms all connected together to create contiguous green zones across the continent.
Another important policy is to ensure that the continental blue corridors are intact and allow free movement of aquatic life. The rivers connect to lakes, seas, and oceans, and as the climate changes the water warms and contains less oxygen. Water abstraction, diversion, damming, and pollution can hinder the movement of aquatic life when it seeks cooler water. Wetlands such as marshes are also highly important and must be restored or recreated both being linked again to the springs, streams and rivers which once fed them.
FAQ
A green corridor stretching from southern Spain to northern Poland.
How big is it?
In some places, over 100 km wide, in others, dozens of meters.
Is it all wilderness?
No, the corridor is made up of a wide range of different elements, from agroforestry farms to private gardens, national parks and much more.
How can I get involved?
Start at home. Find a space that can be rewilded or transformed into a community orchard, forest garden or wilderness area. Put your project on the map and see what other projects you can join.
Is funding available?
At present, most projects are self-financed or receive funding from a local authority, national government or the European Union. Some projects have found private sponsors.
It's important to celebrate success, so organize your own events.
Many local groups organize get-together celebrations with neighboring groups. We organize an annual meeting, usually somewhere in France.
Why a large green corridor?
Biodiversity
Over the last few decades, we have witnessed climate change, and it is accelerating. Plants, fungi, animals and insects are finding themselves in conditions to which they are less and less adapted. Where an area is surrounded by intensively farmed fields, and in particular fields treated with pesticides and fungicides, wildlife is trapped and unable to migrate, or only with difficulty. Over the next few years, southern France is likely to experience a climate similar to that of Barcelona, 500 km further south. Similarly, Barcelona will have a climate similar to that of Granada. So wildlife needs a way to migrate from Barcelona to Marseille and from Granada to Barcelona.
Now let's imagine that we take action and set up long, wide green corridors linking southern Spain to its northernmost regions, right across Europe. Wildlife, under stress from rising temperatures and drought, can now migrate along these corridors and move further north to find areas to which they are better adapted. These corridors should be a mix of completely wild areas, semi-managed wild areas and agroforestry farms.
Eco-anxiety
This project is also a way of getting personally and concretely involved in repairing the land. Many of us feel stressed by what's happening to our planet, the loss of biodiversity, climate change, pollution and so on. Many of us also feel that we'd like to help sort it all out, but don't know where to start. GGC is a great way to start.
Social injustice
Food insecurity is increasingly becoming a problem in many European countries. Parts of the GGC will be community gardens, integrated community farms, community orchards and more. These give people better access to good quality, locally produced food at a fair price or free of charge.
What are the different elements that make up GGC?
The most important elements are the national parks, followed by the agroforestry farms. On the next scale are parks, community orchards, community vegetable gardens (allotments) and open spaces in towns and villages. Then there are gardens and even balconies. Anything that can serve as a springboard for plants and animals.
How is the GGC organized?
The answer is simple: it's not organized, at least not by a central authority. People create stepping stones with two objectives: to create a biodiversity hotspot and to link it to a nearby hotspot created by someone else. Some people refer to this type of organization as “chaordic”, meaning that it lies between chaos and order. It has proved to be the most creative way of organizing projects.
Will GGC create jobs?
Yes, like the Great Green Wall, to create the corridor we need trees and shrubs. New areas will be opened up, creating space for people to become market gardeners or use the land in other ways, basket-making, charcoal-making, wood-turning and much more - the only limit is your imagination!
If you are someone who is unconvinced about climate change it doesn’t matter, you can seize the opportunity to bring back beauty to our landscapes, create fulfilling employment, and ensure better food security.