Adapt and Promote a Resilient and Firewise Living Landscape

Introduction

IPCC climate change projections (2022) predict an increase in temperature and more extended dry periods, expecting an increase in the frequency of droughts, heatwaves, and other extreme weather events. These can promote the spread of pests and diseases and contribute to more frequent, severe, and large-scale wildfires (megafires).

Concerns in Natural Parks

This situation is even more concerning in Natural Parks enclosing villages and highly sought-after by nature enthusiasts, which is the case of Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, located in the municipality of Cascais (SCNP-C), in Portugal. Over the last decades, there has been a growing abandonment and disinterest of landowners in land, leading to an increase of unmanaged areas and the accumulation of fuel vegetation in SCNP-C, thus raising its vulnerability to wildfires.

Increasing Wildfire Incidents

Consequently, burnt areas have increased in the SCNP-C, and large wildfires are becoming recurrent, up to three times in six years in some areas.

Project Goals

The LIFE ResLand project aims to improve the adaptation of SCNP-C to climate change impacts by implementing robust actions better suited to minimize its vulnerability to extreme events through the following objectives:

1. Building landscape resilience to climate change impacts, particularly to wildfires, droughts, and pests and diseases, while preventing soil erosion, promoting the diversification of ecosystem services, and ensuring biodiversity and ecologic corridors by implementing sustainable silvo-pastoral management models.
2. Developing and demonstrating the sustainability and profitability of local economies based on silvo-pastoral activities and ecotourism by fostering local entrepreneurship and promoting green jobs.
3. Improving the knowledge base, developing awareness, and promoting the engagement of stakeholders and the local community in climate change adaptation actions.

Expected Impacts

Besides the increase of SCNP-C resilience to climate change, the project's impacts will also be reflected in the social dimension, the sense of community belonging, and tourist attraction.