LIFE Dunas (LIFE Dunas)

Description:

The main objective of LIFE DUNAS is to improve the resilience of Porto Santo Islands dune ecosystems to the impacts of climate change. The project aims to achieve this through ecosystem-based approaches, nature-based solutions and long-term sustainable use of pre-dune areas.

The specific objectives are:

• Restoration of a higher-risk depression dune area, including geomorphological work using about 90,000 m3 of sand dredged from near-shore sand banks without compromising regular coastal dynamics, followed by ecosystem-based restoration based on production of over 39,000 native plants and control of invasive alien species (IAS) on a wider buffer area;
• Promotion of innovative (re)use of pre-dune areas for agriculture, with production methods and practices that contribute to improved resilience, by mitigating losses due to wind erosion and sand devolving to the dunes; and
• Improvement in overall climate governance and awareness raised among the local population and users of the sand dunes (tourists and tourism service providers), including through active participation and replication/transfer work.

LIFE DUNAS contributes to both the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change (CCA) and to Madeiras regional CCA strategy. The project also supports the EUs biodiversity strategy due to the improvement of birds’ habitats and the conservation of endemic flora species.

Project information

Lead

Regional Secretariat for Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change – SRAAC, Portugal

Partners

Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon – FCUL, Portugal; Porto Santo City Council, Portugal; Vice President's Office in Porto Santo – GVPS, Portugal; Institute Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development - SRA of Forests and Nature Conservation, IP-RAM – IFCN, Portugal