Handbook for recognising and planning green infrastructure
date, etc. In this specific case, we recognised the possibility to develop the GI in the area of coastal land. By changing the usage of the coastal land, the stock of the target ES would increase, i.e. the increase of biodiversity. To assess the efficiency of such a measure, the benefits and costs must first be assessed in terms of the benefits due to the increase of the stock of other spatial services or costs due to the reduction in the stock of certain spatial services. We have therefore found: • an increase of the stock of other spatial services: self-cleaning ability of the stream and thus an improvement of the ecological situation of the Vipava river, the enablement/preservation of high water floods or the retention ability, the establishment of habitats and corridors for other animals, recreation, an increased production of fodder, anti-erosion protection or the retention of the soil, etc.; • a reduction in the stock of other spatial services: reduced production of the extensively produced food. Based on the recognised benefits and costs of planning the green corridor and adjustment of the uses of coastal land, which is 40 metres wide in the case of the Vipava river (the first order stream), a wider agreement must be made between the stakeholders in order to arrange the green corridor, especially with the agricultural sector on one hand and the environmental and water protection sector on the other hand. The success of the GREVISLIN project is mainly the discovery that environmental sectors may achieve their goals more efficiently if they connect with each other. In this case, the coastal land, as a legal regime in water management, is successfully supporting the achievement of the goals of improving biodiversity.
Figure 18: Planning GI in order to preserve extensive damp meadows and ensure flood safety and establish a green corridor along the coastal zone of the Vipava river (the Interreg - Grevislin project). 39
