Demonstration and modelling of Nature-based Solutions to enhance the resilience of Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral ecosystems and landscapes: DRYAD EU Project

Mediterranean agrosilvopastoral ecosystems (MAEs), such as the Dehesa/Montado in Spain (SP)/Portugal (PT), Meriagos in Italy (IT) and valonia oak forests in Greece (GR), provide essential environmental services and play a significant role in supporting local communities, their economies, and well-being. However, the MAEs are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change effects, including rapid warming and heat waves, prolonged droughts with intermittent and sudden heavy rainfall and mediterranean hurricanes (medicanes) and wildfires. Water table decline, groundwater flow depletion, tree mortality, poor tree natural regeneration, soil degradation, decrease of biodiversity, and drastic modification of habitat pattern are the major direct consequences of the above-mentioned changes. Addressing these issues requires tailored sustainable solutions and transformative actions to support local communities and authorities in building climate resilience. The DRYAD project supports the EU Mission Adaptation to Climate Change by demonstrating climate-resilient nature-based solutions (NbS) tailored to MAEs. DRYAD aims to enhance MAE resilience to climate change through locally adapted NbS designed in collaboration with farmers and other stakeholders. The DRYAD project is centered around the development, testing and demonstration of NbS in five Demonstration Regions (DRs). The most promising NbS will be transferred to the three Replication Regions (RR).  Furthermore, DRYAD supports a multi-level and cross-sectoral integrated and adaptive management governance by developing a Decision Support System (DSS). DRYAD mobilizes regional and local authorities and stakeholders, research entities, private/public foundations, companies and citizens and involves them in co-creation, co-implementation, and co-validation processes through Living Labs. This will lead to the creation of widely re-applicable NbS with long-lasting impacts. The project envisages the development of tools and implementation guidelines to promote sustainable and climate-resilient practices and facilitate regional adaptation plans, contributing to the Nature Restoration Law regarding resilient nature and climate adaptations. DRYAD will address a range of NbS across different spatial scales and under various management and climate scenarios. The proposed approaches consider the complex interactions within natural systems, the diverse land uses and practices in MAEs, the intricate governance structures, and the diverse interests of stakeholders. The objectives and expected outcomes of DRYAD are presented with special emphasis on its novel technological developments which include: 1) Real-time and cost-effective monitoring solutions using in-situ LoRaWan and remote sensing (RS) data for NbS implementation in pilot demonstration areas (PDAs); 2) Development of a web-based geospatial database management system (GDMS) for managing space/time field and RS data; 3) Performing integrated ecohydrological models by coupling SCOPE, STEMMUS and MODFLOW6 codes to assess drought-related plant-soil-surface water-groundwater interactions; 4) Using models to support the novel NbS implementations; 5) Upscaling of NbS from local (PDA) to regional (DR) scales; 6) Replication of NbS in RR; 7) Development of a DSS and its embedding in GDMS; and 8) Dissemination of DRYAD results via a DSS, operational on computers and mobile phone apps.

Acknowledgments: This research was performed within DRYAD Project, which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement 101156076.