LIFE The Green Link

Restore desertified areas with an innovative tree growing method across the Mediterranean border to increase resilience.

Acronym

The Green Link

Description

http://thegreenlink.eu/es/inicio/

Mediterranean societies are increasingly facing floods, water scarcity, heat waves, prolonged droughts, flows variability, temperature rises and decreased rainfall with related impacts on vegetation. The impact of these phenomena is expected to intensify the existing risks of desertification and forest fires, particularly in regions where water scarcity is already a concern. Developing adaptation measures aimed at reducing the vulnerability of these ecosystems and strengthening their resilience is therefore of crucial importance.

The Green Link project seeks to contribute to the development of effective adaptation strategies across the Mediterranean region by testing an innovative growing method to restore desertified areas. This consists of replacing traditional irrigation techniques with the Cocoon, a water-efficient, low-cost and 100% biodegradable, through six trials in three different Mediterranean countries suffering from desertification.

In addition, the project has a strong European added value since it is in line with current EU policies and legislation such as: the EU Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change (carbon sequestration, soil conservation), EU Strategy on Green Infrastructure (contribution to Natural and Semi-natural Areas Network), EU Cross-Border Cooperation, EU Rural Development Policy (Green Jobs), Common Agricultural Policy (“Greening”) and EU Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 (ecosystem services, landscape biodiversity, agro-sylvo-pastoral systems).

LIFE15 CCA/ES/000125.

Non-UV principal researchers

J.A. Fuentes (Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona).

Non-UV participating researchers

Investigadores del CIDE:

Andreu, V.

Gimeno-García, E.

Campo, J.

Maymó, A.

Start date

2016 July

End date

2020 March

Funding agencies:

Unión Europea.

Project type

EU - LIFE