Climate change adaptation of wetlands in Attica Region, Greece
Geographic context and climate challenges Attica is a region of Greece with extensive wetlands that includes estuaries, streams, lagoons, lakes and coastal marshes. Wetlands are important elements of the natural environment for the conservation of the ecosystems, recreational areas and areas of economic development. They are particularly important in reducing the impacts of floods, while […]
Climate change adaptation through afforestation
Description Mediterranean forests are one of the world’s biodiversity “hotspots” that carry multiple values of general benefit (FAO, 2011). Nowadays, they are affected by climate change and Mediterranean forest ecosystems are projected to be particularly exposed to the impacts of climate change by 2050 (FAO, 2011). The adverse effects of climate change are reflected in […]
Protection, restoration and management of coastal wetlands
Description Coastal wetlands provide a natural defence against coastal flooding and storm surges primarily by dissipating wave energy. Salt marshes (i.e. coastal wetlands flooded and drained by tides) are the most effective natural coastal habitats to reduce wave heights, along with coral reefs (Seddon et al., 2020). By stabilizing shore sediments coastal wetlands also reduce […]
Dune construction and strengthening
Description Dune erosion results from wind and wave action. It is a natural phenomenon that can be worsened by human activities such as dune levelling to build urban settlements, parking-lots, promenades, etc. This contributes to the deficit of beach sediment needed to overcome periods of intense storms. In addition, eliminating dune vegetation or creating access […]
Marine Protected Areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures
DESCRIPTION IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, defines Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) as areas of the ocean set aside for long-term conservation of nature, with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. The most protective marine reserves prohibit all access except for scientific research, but in many other cases human presence is allowed, including, […]
Adaptive management of natural habitats
Description In terms of habitat creation and maintenance, there has been a decreasing trend at the global level over the last 50 years, based on the extent of suitable habitat and biodiversity intactness (IPBES, 2019). Habitat fragmentation and loss, compounded by environmental stressors, such as pollution, the spread of invasive species and overharvest, are lessening […]
Rehabilitation and restoration of rivers
DESCRIPTION Rivers and their floodplains are subject to many human uses that can alter their hydrology, morphology and connectivity. Many European rivers and floodplains have been significantly modified over the past decades, for example by straightening the river course to allow navigation, draining floodplains to gain agricultural land or to allow for urban development, building […]
Disaster Risk Reduction using eco-system services – Eco-DRR
Description Disasters, whether large or small in scale, cause great destruction, as well as human and economic losses, and with that hinder the progress towards sustainable development. According to data of the UN Disaster Risk Reduction Office (UNDRR, 2019), over the past decades the number of disasters has been in constant increase throughout the world, […]
Use of Adapted Crops
DESCRIPTION Agriculture in the Mediterranean and Adriatic regions is threatened by climate change, especially in relation to the increase in the occurrence of droughts and heatwaves. Destructive rains, violent hailstorms and devastating winds are additional factors reported as climate-related threats for the region. The projected increase in extreme temperature, droughts and extreme weather events is […]
Dune restoration through ecological engineering (Bellocchio area, Italy)
Geographical context and climate challenges The Bellocchio area (Lido di Spina, Municipality of Comacchio near Ferrara in Italy) is part of the coastal plain in the valley of Comacchio. It is a system consisting of lagoons, wetlands and coastal sandbars covered by fossil dunes that get progressively younger as they get closer to the sea, […]