- The great reception of these grants is reflected in the participation of 51 different entities that request an amount of more than 35 million euros, with the endowment of the call being 11.5 million.
- These grants aim to promote initiatives that make the conservation and promotion of the natural values of Doñana compatible with environmental improvement, bioeconomy and employment and new opportunities for the population.
The Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has received 27 project proposals aimed at environmental improvement in the agricultural and forestry field in the Doñana area of influence. These initiatives are part of the call for aid published on December 22, 2024, which seeks to restore the natural balance of Doñana and its compatibility with the sustainable development of the territory.
The success and great reception of these grants is shown by the 51 entities that participate in the different proposals presented, which add up to more than 35 million euros, while the endowment of the call is set at 11.5 million. The amount of aid per proposal will be between 300,000 and two million euros.
The design of the grants has had, from the beginning, the collaboration and participation of the different sectors involved in the call: agricultural and forestry sector; local government; entities of the third environmental sector and civil society and scientific entities, as well as with the essential support of the Technical Office of Doñana.
The projects applying for the aid have been proposed by non-profit entities that work mainly in the agricultural, livestock and forestry fields such as agricultural unions, producer or forestry organizations or irrigation communities; public universities or university institutes; non-profit research organizations; town councils, provincial councils and other local entities.
Some of these entities participate in several initiatives, as is the case of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), an organization with the largest presence, with participation in nine proposals. It is followed by the University of Huelva, with seven initiatives. With five each, the University of Seville and the City Council of Almonte are located. The presence of scientific entities in these projects ensures that all actions are carried out under the best available scientific knowledge, an important requirement of the call.
NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AND SCIENTIFIC
KNOWLEDGEThe aim of these grants is to promote projects with an experimental and transformative approach, which will promote the bioeconomy, the diversification of socio-economic activities and the environmental improvement of existing activities. To this end, up to 90% of projects will be funded that promote activities compatible with the conservation of Doñana and facilitate an ecological and fair transition, based on the best available scientific knowledge.
The call is based on the premise that the conservation of Doñana and its socio-economic development requires the involvement of all social actors as a fundamental part of the solution. In this way, demonstration projects will be financed to support extensive uses compatible with the conservation of the Natural Area and actions that reduce the impacts of activities such as agriculture, for example, through good practices in crops, more resilient agricultural models compatible with the conservation of the environment or nature-based solutions. It also seeks to stimulate entrepreneurship and opportunities for the population in green employment.
In addition, the initiatives must have a clear vocation to contribute to research, generation and increase of available knowledge on the effects of the project activities on the socio-economic, environmental and sustainability improvement generated, as well as make use of the best available information.
FRAMEWORKS OF ACTIONS FOR DOÑANA
This call for grants reinforces the priorities of the Action Frameworks for Doñana, promoted by MITECO. The Framework for Environmental Actions, endowed with a budget of 356 million, is aimed at reversing the environmental degradation of this emblematic space and recovering its ecological functioning. These short- and long-term measures were complemented in November 2023 with the Framework of Actions for the Sustainable Territorial Development of the Doñana Natural Area of Influence, endowed with another 350 million. The latter aims to achieve development that consolidates environmental protection, economic prosperity and social inclusion and is the one in which this call for projects of the Biodiversity Foundation is framed.
The selection of the projects for the granting of the grants will be carried out on a competitive basis, with an assessment system based on the technical quality of the proposals, their environmental and social impact and strategic criteria such as their permanence over time and their replicability. In addition, the integration of gender equality and opportunities will be taken into account.
The resolution of the call is scheduled for August of this year, and the projects must be completed within a maximum of three years from the date of resolution.
