PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to climate change because of their exposure to rising sea levels and extreme weather events. In the search for climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions are increasing considered as viable and efficient approach alongside traditional engineering-based solutions. Coastal systems such as saltmarshes, seagrass meadow and reef-forming organisms play a part by protecting coasts against erosion and flooding, supporting other ecosystem services, and sequestering carbon.
Along Europes Atlantic coast, these ecosystems mainly develop within estuaries. Estuaries are particularly exposed to sea-level rise and face high human pressures such as urbanisation, tourism and land-reclamation. These factors cause a general decline and degradation of these ecosystems, and the loss of the ecosystems services that they provide.
OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the LIFE ADAPTA BLUES project is to demonstrate the potential of conserving and restoring European estuaries following an ecosystem-based approach to climate change adaptation, decreasing risks to coastal areas while contributing to climate change mitigation. This involves the following specific objectives:
standardise the procedures for assessing the climate change services provided by estuarine ecosystems and their resilience to rising sea levels; develop climate change adaptation and risk reduction technical recommendations for three different Atlantic European regions based on the management of estuarine ecosystems; develop one pilot project on climate change adaptation involving restoration activities in the Mondego estuary in Portugal; explore financial mechanisms that could support estuarine restoration based on the climate change services they provide; promote estuaries conservation and restoration as nature-based services to support climate change adaptation in European coastal areas.
RESULTS
Expected results:
map of areas for potential restoration in the three study regions, and analysis of their rates of adaptation to rising sea levels; valuation of coastal protection services provided by vegetated habitats which are representative of Atlantic estuaries, along with an inventory of carbon deposits and sequestration rates in these areas; flooding maps of the estuarine areas in the three regions of study under different sea level rise scenarios; a methodology to design climate change adaptation strategies in coastal areas based on estuarine ecosystems management for the three regions, along with technical recommendations; a pilot restoration project of one estuary to enhance sediment build-up, restore vegetation and increase the ecosystem services provided; a new diploma programme on using ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation in estuaries, with 600 students enrolling; devise a concept for flood resilience for European coasts; review how oyster restoration takes place in the United States and Australia, create a restoration network to share experiences, and study potential application in Europe, including market-based approaches. The project will respond to the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change and EU green infrastructure strategy. It will also address the EU land use and forestry regulation, support the EU 2030 climate and energy framework, the ecosystem services target within the EU biodiversity strategy to 2020, and the EU habitats directive and EU birds directive. Its estuary restoration pilot project will contribute to improving local water quality which falls within EU water and floods policies (the EU water framework directive and EU floods directive).
