22/03/2022 - 16:15

Recent climate scenarios predict dramatic changes for the inland region of Portugal, where the increase in air temperature might reach +5°C during the year 2100, accompanied by a strong decrease in precipitation and an increase of extreme events (RCP 8.5, IPCC AR5). 

Such forecasts imply changes in thermal and hydrological patterns in the coming decades, leading to a marked degradation of water and soils, and an increase in the frequency intensity and duration of droughts and floods. Consequently, the sustainable development of Portugal's inland region will inevitably depend on the ability to adapt to such climate-related changes. 

The project "AQUADAPT – Climate change-proof ecosystems for sustainable management" aims to promote the resistance and resilience of river ecosystems to climate change, through risk assessment and the construction of adaptation tools. 

There will be developed a high-resolution monitoring and warning system through modelling, forecasting and planning techniques, and test nature-based solutions in degraded areas of protected and agricultural areas. 

The innovative character of this project lies in the multidisciplinary approach gathering investigation, planning tools, and dissemination, and its relevance lies in the construction of replicable products at the national and international context.

By bringing together academic partners (ISA-CEF, IST-CERIS), administration (APA) and companies (EDIA) which have already worked together, the Consortium formed have the experience to successfully execute the project. 

The gained knowledge of climate and hydrological changes, their impacts, and possible natural responses to promote resistance and resilience of ecosystems will allow the construction of scenarios and alternatives for an informed decision-making by politicians, managers, and other stakeholders for the coming decades. This way, the project AQUADAPT will nurture the transformation towards a more sustainable region for people and nature.