Designed with farmers, researchers and authorities, the measures target water, soil and biodiversity challenges in Greece, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal as climate pressures intensify.
An EU-funded project has selected 11 nature-based solutions to strengthen the climate resilience of farming, grazing and woodland landscapes across Mediterranean regions.
The DRYAD project narrowed an initial list of 40 nature-based solutions, or NbSs, first to 13 and then to 11. The selected measures will be implemented in demonstration regions in Greece, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal.
Developed through collaboration among local farmers, land managers, researchers and regional authorities, the solutions are grouped into three categories focusing on water, soil and biodiversity.
The measures are intended to improve water retention and soil quality, increase farm productivity and create green jobs while helping Mediterranean agro-silvo-pastoral systems respond to rising temperatures, prolonged droughts and irregular rainfall patterns.
Agro-silvo-pastoral systems integrate crops, trees and livestock on the same land. Compared with conventional single-crop farming, they support a broader range of wildlife, beneficial insects and soil microorganisms that contribute to healthier ecosystems.
Trees help improve soil fertility, prevent erosion and store carbon underground while making landscapes more resilient to drought and heavy rainfall. Cultivated crops provide food and crop residues for animal forage while using residual nutrients in the soil.
Livestock graze on crops and forage and fertilise the land with manure, supporting further crop growth. The combination of timber, fruit, grain, meat and dairy production on one plot also provides farmers with year-round income and reduces their exposure to market fluctuations.
Among the water-related measures are drainage ditches planned for Spain’s Extremadura region and artificial ponds proposed for Portugal’s Alentejo region.
A recent DRYAD study describes how the artificial ponds, which depend on groundwater, are being implemented in Alentejo and subsequently replicated in the Sardón area of Spain.
Five soil-focused solutions aim to improve land management and farming practices. They include real-time soil monitoring in Extremadura and adaptive grazing practices in Extremadura and Andalusia, another region of Spain.
The project also proposes using biochar in Alentejo and Extremadura, sowing biodiverse pastures in Extremadura and introducing wildfire prevention measures in Alentejo, Extremadura, Sardinia in Italy and Aetolia-Acarnania in Greece.
Four measures have been selected to enhance biodiversity.
They include strategically planting trees and shrubs in open croplands and non-wooded grazing areas in Andalusia, creating natural island refuges for wildlife in Alentejo and Sardinia and introducing protective measures for trees and shrubs in Aetolia-Acarnania.
The final solution involves the early detection of tree mortality and will be implemented in Aetolia-Acarnania, Alentejo, Andalusia, Extremadura and Sardinia.
The project said the involvement of a diverse range of stakeholders in designing the measures increased the likelihood that the practical and locally adapted solutions would be adopted.
“NbS are not isolated actions but part of a broader strategy. By combining nature, innovation and local knowledge, DRYAD is helping build more resilient Mediterranean landscapes, capable of sustaining both people and nature in a changing climate,” a DRYAD news item said.
DRYAD stands for Demonstration and Modelling of NbS to Enhance the Resilience of Mediterranean Agro-Silvo-Pastoral Ecosystems and Landscapes.
