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LIFE TERRACESCAPE - EMPLOYING LAND STEWARDSHIP TO TRANSFORM TERRACED LANDSCAPES INTO GREEN INFRASTRUCTURES TO BETTER ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE LIFE16 CCA/GR/000050 |
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Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more Print PDF version | |||||||||||||
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Project description: Background Based on current projections of climatic models for the Mediterranean islands, summer aridity is expected to rise, leading to prolonged droughts, increased frequency of forest fires and aggravated pressure on already vulnerable and scarce water resources. Severe rainfall and flooding are likely to increase, exacerbating soil erosion and land degradation. The situation is expected to impact the local ecosystem resilience and the most important economic sectors on the islands – agriculture and tourism. The cultivation of drystone terraces constitutes the most significant large-scale human intervention on the landscape of the Aegean Islands since the emergence of their civilisation. Until the mid-1960s, the cultivation terraces provided almost the only network supporting primary production on the islands (cultivation, livestock raising and beekeeping). They supported the island ecosystem services by improving rainwater percolation, reducing soil erosion and favouring local biodiversity (harvest plants and associated animal species). The recent abandonment of cultivation terraces has caused the end of self-sufficiency of the islands in primary goods, and has made the island ecosystem more vulnerable and susceptible to climate change impacts. Objectives The LIFE TERRACESCAPE project aims to demonstrate, on the Aegean island of Andros, the use of drystone terraces as green infrastructures resilient to climate change impacts. The project will promote climatic adaptation by mobilising scientific knowledge, traditional farming and land stewardship (LS) practices for a large-scale revitalisation of island terrace farming. By addressing climatic and environmental extremities and supporting a modern, extensive and climate-smart agricultural sector for the Mediterranean islands, profound benefits for local societies, economies and biodiversity are expected to accrue. The specific project objectives are to:
Expected results: Those results will lead to the following substantial outputs: The project will significantly contribute to the EU’s climate adaptation strategy. The restoration and re-cultivation of drystone walls and terraces will also contribute to the goals of the EU’s Birds and Habitats Directives in vulnerable island ecosystems. Finally, the LS initiative will emphasise sustainable and resilient smart agricultural and tourism sectors. Results
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Environmental issues addressed: Themes
Climate change Adaptation - Natural resources and ecosystems Keywords Agriculture‚ island‚ climate action plan‚ ecosystem-based approach‚ land use Natura 2000 sites
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Administrative data:
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Project description Environmental issues Beneficiaries Administrative data Read more Print PDF version |