Atlantic region highly exposed to climate change. Increasing the intensity and frequency of storms, changing the hydrological cycle, changes in temperature and precipitation patterns, Implications for the agricultural sector. But There are still great uncertainties about how climate change will affect agriculture and food systems directly and indirectly.. Project RiskWaterSoil has a purpose develop a comprehensive soil and water risk management plan To increase the resilience of the rural areas of the Atlantic.
through transnational cooperationproject partners have been fighting since 2017 against the negative effects of climate change, especially on farmland. This comprehensive plan includes: three stages linked to three specific goals:
1) Early warning and diagnosis: consists of testing new low-cost techniques to measure and predict the local effects of different meteorological events. These techniques provide accurate data resulting in a better early detection system in rural areas. Diagnostic activity is expanded by climate scenarios and forecasts and improving climate information services for farmers.
2) Implementation and adaptation: includes developing several pilot actions on farmland that allow for better soil and water management, taking into account the risks associated with climate change.
3) Capacity building and access: consists of the training and commitment of local communities and farmers to increase capacity building, knowledge and cooperation in risk management and damage compensation systems.
Rehabilitation of rural areas
In summary, RiskAquaSoil, which will last until May 2023, better coordination for identification, risk management and rehabilitation of rural areas (marine and land areas), particularly for agricultural purposes, associated with natural, climatic and anthropogenic risks. It will also ensure coordination with national, regional and local policies.
RiskAquaSoil is structured as follows: three axes: land management, water management and damage compensation systemsand primarily directed three target groups:
one) Farmers and associations and institutions related to rural development and climate change. Farmers are one of the key elements of Risk-AquaSoil. During the extension of the project, they will take part in technical activities after citizen science actions.
two) Political leaders. RiskAquaSoil seeks to create a flexible socio-institutional analysis framework for continuous monitoring and evaluation of actionable information to adapt policy strategies to the regional impacts of climate change.
3) Public opinion. RiskAquaSoil aims to disseminate general information and raise public awareness about the importance of strengthening the resilience and planning of the Atlantic regions in the face of natural disasters and the consequences of climate change in rural and agricultural areas. An editorial is published and public events are held among the non-scientific public to disseminate Risk-AquaSoil’s findings and conclusions to a non-technical audience.
The role of the media is at stake
As an example of the studies media coverage of climate changein-depth analysis of the content of news articles published in the countries involved in the project.
It was concluded that the media tend to report on climate change using distant frames (eg future-oriented) and consequences (eg threatening messages). unstable political and scientific narrativeswhile ignoring the role of civil society in adapting to this change.
Rather than promoting social climate action, media may be contributing to “widespread social disinterest in climate change” and disconnecting people with environmental problems. “There is no emphasis on the role of civil society in the fight against climate change,” says the study.
RiskAquaSoil consists of: 14 partners from five different countries, Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom and Ireland, among them the Supreme Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), the Andalusian Environment and Water Agency, the Spanish Meteorological Agency (Aemet), CajaMar Caja Rural and the Natural Resources Institute. and Land Management (Indurot) from the University of Oviedo. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Project website: https://www.riskaquasoil.eu/es/
Source: Informacion
