Line of action:

Terrestrial ecosystems

Status:

En ejecución

Location:

Almeria, Granada, Murcia, Tarragona and Valencia

Geographic scope:

España

Execution date:

2022

Duration:

01/01/2023-31/12/2025

Typology:

Agriculture / agroecological transition

Total budget:

1,701,709.79 euros

Amount of aid from the Biodiversity Foundation:

1,616,624.27 euros

Coordinating entity:

Eurecat Foundation

Rural Mediterranean landscapes suffer from abandonment of traditional activities and depopulation, and are highly vulnerable to climate change. The functionality of coastal and inland Mediterranean landscapes requires innovation to foster their bioeconomy and climate resilience. Coastal wetlands are seriously threatened by water and sediment scarcity, coastal erosion, subsidence, salinization and loss of biodiversity, which affect their main economic activities (agriculture and tourism), based on natural capital. Inland landscapes such as the Almeria-Granada-Murcia highlands are threatened by drought, extreme temperatures, more frequent fires and desertification, among other factors. This project will generate the tools to co-design a plan and implement actions to promote the bioeconomy in the two main types of Mediterranean landscapes, coastal and inland, using the Ebro Delta and the Almeria-Granada-Murcia plateau as a model. This model is based on the promotion of applied research and innovation to expand the restoration of natural capital, ecological and regenerative agriculture, and nature tourism, as an opportunity to strengthen its climate resilience and a just transition.

BIORESILMED is a project to promote bioeconomy and climate resilience in coastal wetland rice fields (Ebro Delta) and inland woody crops (Granada, Almeria and Murcia), through the promotion of applied research and innovation to promote the restoration of natural capital, ecological and regenerative agriculture and nature tourism, in order to achieve greater climate resilience and a just transition in these ecologically important territories, which are threatened by climate emergency and depopulation.

The project will implement pilot programs for biodiversity enhancement and organic farming of woody crops and rice fields, and for the reduction of methane emissions in coastal rice fields and carbon sequestration in woody crops. Following this, a carbon credit scheme for Mediterranean crops with a defined business model will be developed. The project also includes ecological restoration actions in the Ullals de Panxa wetland, actions for the promotion of ornithological and nature tourism, and professional training and environmental education actions.

The actions will be implemented in 14 rice and woody crops farms (1,000 ha), where an increase in organic rice production is expected while water consumption decreases; in woody crops, on the other hand, increases in soil organic matter and infiltration rate are expected. The climate resilience actions will involve a reduction of methane emissions in rice fields of up to 3.25 Tm CO2-eq/ha/year, and an increase in the level of organic matter and carbon stock in woody plants, with 150 farmers trained in carbon farming, 5 interested companies and 2-3 pioneer farmers implementing the carbon credit scheme. Finally, 2 ornithological routes will be created in the Ebro Delta and in the Riet Vell Reserve with 100 users, as well as 7,500 visitors/year to the reserve.