Adaptation to climate change through management and restoration of European estuarine ecosystems (Adapta Blues)

The LIFE ADAPTA BLUES project focuses on the restoration of estuarine ecosystems as a Nature Based Solution to remediate the risks related to climate change in coastal areas. European estuaries have reduced their extension due to land reclamation and the spread of invasive species, among other hazards. The loss of estuaries surface implies the loss of all the benefits these ecosystems have on coastal areas.

The project aims to demonstrate that the conservation and restoration of estuarine ecosystems is an efficient strategy to enhance adaptation to climate change in coastal areas of the European Atlantic coast.

The project has the flowing specific objectives to achieve its main goal.

• Standardize the procedures for the assessment of the Climate Change services provided by estuarine ecosystems.
• Develop technical recommendations for climate change adaptation based on the management of estuarine ecosystems for three Atlantic European regions.
• Implement one pilot project for Climate Change adaptation based in the implementation of estuarine restoration actions.
• Explore financial mechanisms that support estuarine restoration based on the climate change services they can provide.
• Promote the application of estuaries conservation and restoration as nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation in European coastal areas.