Duration:60 months
Project name: TErrestrial Resilience and RestorAtion Strategies for (semi) Arid and Fragile Ecosystems through a multiactor approach
Project acronym: TERRASAFEh
Call: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01
Topic: HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04
Type of action: HORIZON Innovation Actions
Granting authority: European Research Executive Agency
Topic of the initiative: 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 desertificationprone 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.
The project is co-financed by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme.
Project Coordinator: UAveiro
Project Partners: Wageningen University & Research, NIBIO (Norsk institutt for bioøkonomi), Università degli Studi della Basilicata – Unibas, The Cyprus Institute(CYI), Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), AKTI Project and Research Centre, Institut des Régions Arides (IRA), Institutul Național de Cercetare-Dezvoltare în Silvicultură “Marin Drăcea”, The Mediterranean Sustainable Development Foundation (MEDES), Isotech Ltd, IO-dit AB- Agrodit, AgroBiogel GmbH, Ibero Massa Florestal, S.A., EDAFOTEC Soluciones Basadas en la Naturaleza Sl, University of York, University of Gloucestershire
The project is co-financed by the European Union under the Horizon Europe Framework Programme.
Contact info
The Cyprus Institute: Dr. Christos Zoumides c.zoumides@cyi.ac.cy
AKTI Project and Research Center: Ms. Dimitra Petsa akti@akti.org.cy
ISOTECH LTD: Dr. Michalis Loizidis info@isotech.com.cy
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Photo credit: Christos Zoumides