Project description
Empowering local communities to combat desertification
Large areas in Southern, Central and Eastern Europe and Northern Africa are estimated to be facing (very) high risks of desertification, including due to accelerating climate change. Innovative nature-based, social and technological solutions will be crucial for local communities to be resilient to current and future risk levels. The EU-funded TERRASAFE project will develop an interdisciplinary approach that aims to empower desertification-prone communities to identify, evaluate and promote widespread adoption of such innovative solutions. This approach will be co-created with five 'desertification innovation partnerships', in which project partners will closely collaborate with local communities to tailor the approach to local social-ecological circumstances. The five communities were selected for representing the main desertification types across Europe and Northern Africa.
Objective
TERRASAFE is a pioneering initiative envisaging to empower local communities in southern Europe and northern Africa to successfully face the escalating challenges of desertification through the adoption of nature-based, social and technological innovations. TERRASAFE’s vision will be operationalized in 5 pilot areas that share a high vulnerability to desertification but, simultaneously, represent the 4 main types of desertification (vegetation decline, soil degradation, water scarcity, and depopulation) and strongly contrast in socio–cultural-ecological circumstances. This vision is supported by a transdisciplinary consortium, ranging from universities to SMEs commercially exploiting innovations.
TERRASAFE’s vision is implemented through a multi-actor approach covering all WPs, in particular by setting up 5 partnerships in the 5 pilot areas. In a co-creation process, these partnerships will then (i) define their visions on building desertification resilience and plan their ensuing TERRASAFE work; (ii) map and analyze past and ongoing desertification, identifying hotspots; (iii) evaluate and demonstrate innovations at these hotspots, comparing them with current and traditional/organic practices; (iv) elaborate policy recommendation for the wider uptake of the TERRASAFE-certified innovations, both within and beyond the pilot areas, taking into account lessons learnt from past and ongoing policies against desertification; (v) share their TERRASAFE’s experience with the other areas, other desertification-prone communities and the general public. The consortium will support the partnerships by providing not only harmonized frameworks for each activity but also advice on adapting these frameworks to their specific needs. Finally, the SMEs will provide a wide offer of innovations that they will tailor towards the respective desertification hotspots, in close collaboration with the partnerships.
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Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-IA - HORIZON Innovation ActionsCoordinator
3810-193 Aveiro
Portugal