Murcia today hosted the presentation of the 11 projects selected in the call for aid for the restoration and environmental improvement in agricultural area of the Mar Menor. These projects will contribute to the recovery of their biological integrity, seeking to reestablish their natural balance and compatibility with the continuity and increased sustainability of agricultural activity.

These are transformative and innovative projects to advance different aspects of the agroecological transition by reducing impacts at source in the Mar Menor watershed. 16.2 million and will have a duration of up to 3 years.

The actions of these projects cover more than 1,110 hectares of direct intervention on the watershed of the Mar Menor in eight municipalities. The types of actions they raise are divided into:

• Four projects focused on the implementation of good agricultural practices that involve, for example, improved soil and water management and the reduction of pollutants, including the promotion of organic and regenerative agriculture and agroecology.
• Four projects focused on new techniques and protocols for the reduction of nitrate inputs and the use of biosolutions in the fertilization of crops in the watershed.
• Three projects focused on the implementation of nature-based solutions consisting of the renaturalization of spaces with green water retention and filtering functions to prevent erosion and flooding problems.

In addition, all projects have a multi-stakeholder approach, reflecting the fact that the agroecological transition requires the involvement of all actors in society. Among the beneficiary entities are municipalities, professional agricultural organizations, universities, public research organizations and non-profit organizations.

This call for grants is promoted by the Biodiversity Foundation of MITECO, in collaboration with the Technical Office of the Mar Menor, in order to comply with one of the commitments included in the Framework of Priority Actions to recover the Mar Menor. (MAPMM) on “Restoration and environmental improvement on farms” (point 2.4), which deals with such a strategic and necessary topic as “reducing the impact of agricultural activities at source through different restoration and environmental improvement measures on farms”.