Riparian Zones Delineation (raster), Aug. 2015

Riparian zones represent transitional areas occurring between land and freshwater ecosystems, characterised by distinctive hydrology, soil and biotic conditions and strongly influenced by the stream water. They provide a wide range of riparian functions (e.g. chemical filtration, flood control, bank stabilization, aquatic life and riparian wildlife support, etc.) and ecosystem services. The Riparian Zones products support the objectives of several European legal acts and policy initiatives, such as the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020, the Habitats and Birds Directives and the Water Framework Directive. The delineation of Riparian Zones is based on a complex spatial modelling approach, making use of the Riparian Zones’ LC/LU classification, large-scale earth observation data and a range of additional geo-data sources, as well as derived spatially explicit indicators. Inputs are regionally parameterised and weighted according to relative importance in a fuzzy modelling approach. The zones provide a majority of riparian functions with a focus on ecosystem services. The production of the Riparian Zones products was coordinated by the European Environment Agency in the frame of the EU Copernicus programme.