Protective Forest Action Programme (Aktionsprogramm Schutzwald)

Category: Executive

Document Type: Action Plan

Role: Main

Austria's 2019 Protective Forest Action Programme outlines strategy and investment to strengthen forests against natural hazards and climate change by 2050.

The "Protective Forest Action Programme: New challenges – strong responses" is an initiative by the Austrian federal government and its partners, published by the Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism in August 2019. Its primary purpose is to ensure that Austria's forests continue to provide optimal protection against natural hazards and associated risks, particularly those exacerbated by climate change. The programme recognizes that Austria, being a mountainous country, heavily relies on protective forests for settlement safety, wood supply, clean water and air, biodiversity habitat, and recreation. The scope covers all protective forests in Austria and addresses challenges including climate change impacts (warming, especially in the Alps), low timber prices, high management costs, and pressure from leisure activities. The programme outlines a vision for 2050: "Together for a strong protective forest in Austria: climate-fit - sustainable - economical". While not a regulation with strict legal obligations or compliance dates, it sets out a framework for action and investment. A total of 101 million euros is allocated, with 1 million euros dedicated to research and 100 million euros for implementation measures aimed at strengthening forests. The programme is structured around four main targets, supported by ten flagship measures: 1. **Making protective forests fit for the future:** Includes measures for observing and exploring, planning and developing, and preserving and restoring protective forests. 2. **Achieving more together for protective forests:** Focuses on experiencing, using, and saving protective forests, and designing them regionally while establishing supra-regional networks. 3. **Strengthening the awareness for protective forests:** Aims at recognising and communicating the importance of protective forests, and promoting learning and understanding about them. 4. **Making protective forests attractive:** Addresses administrating and designing protective forests in a simple way, investing in and managing them effectively, and exploiting their inherent value. The affected sectors include forestry, land management, regional planning, research institutions, government administration, and potentially tourism and water management.

Forests protect us!
Protective Forest Action Programme:
New challenges – strong responses

MEDIA OWNER AND PUBLISHER:
FEDERAL MINISTRY
FOR SUSTAINABILITY AND TOURISM
Stubenring 1, 1010 Vienna
www.bmnt.gv.at
Concept and editing: clavis GmbH
Graphic design: Katrin Pfleger
Photo credits: Federal Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism /Alexander Haiden, BFW (Bundesamt
für Wald - Austrian Research Centre for Forests)
Translation: Carola Vardjan
All rights reserved Vienna,
August 2019
Printed according to the Guideline “Printed PEFC recycled
Products” of the Austrian Ecolabel. This product originates
www.umweltzeichen.at from recycling and from
Printed by: Central Copy Service of the Federal controlled sources.
Ministry for Sustainability and Tourism (BMNT)
www.pefc.at





Forests protect us!
Protective Forest Action Programme:
New challenges – strong responses
CONTENTS Preface 5
We need the protective forest – the protective forest needs us 6
How we benefit from forests 8
How forests protect us 9
What guides us 10
Our vision 2050 11
Only a strong protective forest can protect: What is required 12
1. Target corridor: Making protective forests fit for the future 15
Flagship measure “Observing and exploring protective forests” 16
Flagship measure “Planning and developing protective forests” 18
Flagship measure “Preserving and restoring protective forests” 20
2. Target corridor: Achieving more together for protective forests 23
Flagship measure “Experiencing, using and saving protective forests” 24
Flagship measure “Designing protective forests regionally and
establishing supra-regional networks” 26
3. Target corridor: Strengthening the awareness for protective forests 29
Flagship measure “Recognising and communicating protective forests” 30
Flagship measure “Learning and understanding protective forests” 32
4. Target corridor: Making protective forests attractive 35
Flagship measure “Administrating and designing protective forests

Tags: Redd+ And Lulucf, Forests, Adaptation, Adaptation Planning, Afforestation, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change Risks, Disaster Risk Management, Education, Environmental Degradation, Funding, Governance, Institutions / Administrative Arrangements, Investment, Land Use, Lulucf, Mountain, Natural Resources, Planning, Policy, Report, Research, R&D, Spatial Planning, Trees, Water, Water Management

Sector: LULUCF

Original Source