TERRASAFE Work packages
TERRASAFE consists of six interrelated work packages. Each of these work areas will help us to achieve our overall objective: to collaborate with local communities to identify innovations for combatting desertification.
WP1 Project management and co-ordination
Led by University of Aveiro, Portugal
- To successfully complete the project’s scientific and technical objectives
- To complete the project within the agreed time schedule and budget
- To produce findings and Deliverables that meet defined quality standards
- To manage the Intellectual Property created by the project;
- To ensure efficient and effective interaction/communication between the partners and with the Impact Advisory Board and EC.
WP2 Multi-actor engagement in a participatory approach throughout the project
Led by University of York and University of Gloucestershire
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- To establish processes of multi-actor engagement for participation in WPs 3-6
- To co-create and enable empowerment in planning, monitoring, evaluation and learning
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WP3 Mapping and analysing desertification status, drivers, and impacts
Led by The Cyprus Institute and Wageningen University
- To establish and coordinate a scientific community with various research projects and international organizations for knowledge, data, and approach exchange.
- To developing a user-friendly online GIS App with desertification geodatabase for pilot areas, incorporating existing maps.
- To qualitatively map desertification status in pilot areas using the WOCAT approach, especially to confirm desertification hotspots
indicated by baseline maps. - To conduct an integrated assessment of desertification’s state, drivers, pressures, and impacts in pilot areas, employing the EEA’s DPSIR framework and combining baseline and WOCAT maps with state-of-the-art data.
- To collaboratively develop future land-use scenarios based on current and predicted climate conditions and WP4 findings regarding innovation effectiveness and economic viability.
- To evaluate the integrated desertification assessment approach and online tools and creating a manual for wider adoption.
WP4 Assessing and demonstrating innovations versus traditional/organic and innovative solutions
Led by NIBIO and University of Aveiro
- To create proposals for implementing innovations targeting desertification-affected land cover/management systems in pilot areas selected by partnerships in WP3.
- To choose 3 innovations for testing in each pilot area.
- To identify and select suitable KPIs for accurately measuring the immediate, short- and mid-term impacts of these innovations in terms of environmental effectiveness and economic viability.
- To develop a unified framework for assessing innovation impacts across pilot areas and adapt it to specific land cover/management systems and selected KPIs.
- To carry out and monitor demonstrations, quantifying and showcasing the environmental and economic benefits of the innovations by
comparing the 3 selected options.
WP5 Evaluating policy impacts for scaling-up recommendations
Led by Universita degli Studi della Basilicata (UNIBAS) and Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP)
- To review existing knowledge on the effectiveness of various policy instruments for
combating desertification, including their impacts and success factors. - To evaluate EU, national, and regional policies, legislative proposals, and initiatives related to desertification.
WP6 Dissemination, communication and management of cross-project collaboration
Led by University of Gloucestershire
- To plan and implement an overall strategy of communication, awarenessraising
and dissemination to achieve maximum impact for the project - To link TERRASAFE with existing desertification projects, initiatives and networks to promote an effective and efficient exchange of knowledge, incorporating a wide set of relevant stakeholders
- To develop an Exploitation Plan to promote long-term use and widespread upscaling of TERRASAFE certified innovations against desertification.