E1 Communication plan and preparation of informative and technical materials.
The aim of this action is to contribute to the dissemination of the project’s activities, share information and knowledge on climate change, and provide the managers and technical personnel at protected areas in the Mediterranean region with information and training on successful adaptive management methodologies in relation to climate change.
The IUCN will develop a communication plan that includes a strategic plan for the use of social media, which will be approved by the partners during the first coordination meeting (see action F1). The plan will set out the timetable, content and responsibilities of each partner with regard to this particular matter.
The communication plan will contain information on the following products designed to provide general information:
(1) Creation of an electronic newsletter to be published at least once every six months, depending on the amount of relevant information and activity generated with regard to the progress of the project. The newsletter will be drafted in Spanish and English, so that project information can be disseminated at the local, regional and international level via the channels of each partner and those of the IUCN. The communication plan will also define the distribution list.
(2) Contribution to action E9 (website) with specific informative content. Additionally, content will be created for a blog, which will make it possible to provide continuously updated content and enable interested members of the public to take part. The blog will be linked to social media and the project newsletter, in order to extend its reach. Likewise, it will also enable interaction with the target audiences through the use of questions, surveys and comments.
(3) Creation, management and maximisation of the project’s social media profiles, in accordance with the aims and indicators specified in the social media plan.
(4) Creation of infographics to explain the effects of climate change and the actions taken by the project to mitigate them. These infographics will be used to create viral content on social media, and for the other activities related to divulgation and dissemination.
(5) Creation of brochures to promote and provide information on the project.
(6) Creation of posters to provide information on climate change.
(7) Audiovisual materials: four videos, comprising one general video and one descriptive video for each protected natural area.
(8) Media kit.
(9) Canvases for each of the project partners.
UICM-MED will be responsible for publishing the informative materials, namely: brochures providing a general presentation of the project; informative posters; and audiovisual materials (four videos: one general video and one descriptive video for each protected natural area). The brochures and posters will be placed in the most suitable information points in each area (e.g. council offices, cultural centres and public services in the protected natural areas).
The ability to reach the tourist industry, and especially the users of the protected natural areas, is a factor that will play a key role in the dissemination of the informative materials throughout the areas in question. To this end, the project enjoys the explicit support of the tourist industry, as evidenced by the letter of support from the Sierra Nevada Forum of the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism, which is included in the project’s annexes. The tourist industry will provide one of the main conduits for disseminating informative materials aimed at the local population, given that the local population and visitors both form part of this sector and both enjoy the services of the protected natural areas. We will also adopt a cross-cutting approach by using the content of the informative materials to develop the concept of sustainable tourism in relation to climate change, by promoting uses and behaviours within the protected natural areas that will help said areas adapt to climate change.
Technical publications
The IUCN will coordinate the preparation of the publications that result from the project, in collaboration with the partners. These publications will be presented at the final workshop and will comprise the following:
(1) Technical publication for managers, with details of the methodologies used in the C actions and the results obtained (see the C actions).
(2) Guide to good governance for adaptive management, drafted in accordance with the experience gained during the implementation of actions A7 and E10.
The content of each publication will be presented and agreed upon during the project coordination meetings. The actions concerning the informative materials to be used at the start of the project (informative brochures, posters, media kit, canvases, etc.) will be finalised during the first year of the project. Other actions, such as distributing and creating content for the biannual electronic newsletters, will be carried out over the course of the project.
- The total estimated cost for this action is €71,150.
- The only partner involved in this action is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
E2 Local outreach regarding the need to adapt to climate change and improve governance.
This action will help to publicise the project and raise awareness of climate change and its impacts on nature and human well-being. The actions that form part of the project, particularly those in category E, will help to share information and raise awareness among civil society with regard to the potential impacts of climate change on the services provided by natural ecosystems in terms of supply, regulation and leisure. However, it is also necessary to gain an insight into how local populations view the subject of adaptation to climate change and how they see themselves living with its impacts.
The media, the educational sector and civil society in general are increasingly more aware of the impacts of climate change on natural ecosystems and human well-being. However, owing largely to the scientific and technical complexity of the issue, the measures taken to counter these impacts are often little known or translated into language that is easy to understand, especially at the local level.
The actions that are implemented under this project as a means to adapt to climate change and make ecosystems more resilient require a clear and robust strategy for the divulgation of information to civil society, with a focus on the positive effects of these actions on the ecosystem services provided by the three protected natural areas.
Two local workshops to publicise and provide information on the project will be held in each of the three protected natural areas. The workshops will have two aims: one, to provide interested parties (public administrations, groups, NGOs, associations) with information on the project and its anticipated outcomes; and two, to inform and raise awareness among the local population of climate change and the importance of the adaptation actions in maintaining the ecosystem services that are provided by the natural environment they live in.
The workshops will include presentations on the following subjects:
(1) Presentation and description of the objectives of the LIFE Adaptamed project and their implications for the area.
(2) Understanding climate change at the local level: the protected natural areas as essential components in the strategies of adaptation to climate change, and the importance of ecosystem services.
(3) Managing the process of adapting to climate change at the local level and the involvement of local communities.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €35,578.
- • The only partner involved in this action is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
E3 Environmental education regarding adaptation to climate change.
This action aims to raise awareness within the school environment of the social and environmental problems posed by climate change, and to illustrate these problems with reference to the nearby surroundings of the educational community. A teaching unit on adaptation to climate change will be created within the framework of this action, incorporating awareness-raising activities and proposed educational activities to be carried out as part of the Kioto Educa (“Kyoto Educates”) programme. This programme aims to guide the actions of teachers and provides suggestions, resources and support materials for carrying out or designing activities to raise awareness of the seriousness of climate change. It also aims to promote attitudes and behaviours in school that are designed to save energy and respect the environment, in line with the overarching aim to implement actions that will help to effectively reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
The planned environmental education action will involve the following steps:
– Pilot activities in two schools in each of the three natural areas (i.e. a total of six pilot activities), for the purposes of designing a teaching unit on climate change.
– One in-person training day in each natural area (i.e. a total of three training days) for the school coordinators.
– One teaching unit on adaptation to climate change, to be delivered in schools in the vicinity of the protected natural areas. In total, we aim to carry out activities in six schools across the three protected natural areas.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €19,980.
- • The only partner involved in this action is the Andalusian Ministry of the Environment and Planning.
E4 Environmental volunteering programme regarding adaptation to climate change.
The aims of this action are as follows:
(1) Facilitate the involvement of different sectors of the local population in activities that form part of the LIFE Adaptamed project and the Andalusian Climate Action Programme. This will be achieved through environmental volunteering.
(2) Raise awareness among the population of the impacts and consequences of climate change in Andalusia and of the challenges and opportunities presented by adaptation to climate change. This will be achieved by improving mechanisms for citizen participation.
(3) Develop practical actions, involving social participation, designed to aid adaptation to climate change.
These activities will take place in the Doñana and Sierra Nevada natural areas and the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
The activities will be implemented as part of the following programmes:
(1) Environmental volunteering activities to aid the adaptation to climate change, in collaboration with the environmental volunteering network for the Sierra Nevada natural area.
(2) Environmental volunteering activities to aid the adaptation to climate change, in collaboration with the environmental volunteering network for the Doñana natural area.
(3) Environmental volunteering activities to aid the adaptation to climate change, in collaboration with the environmental volunteering network for the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
(4) Environmental volunteering camps in the Doñana and Sierra Nevada natural areas and the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
(5) Training sessions for the environmental volunteering networks for the Doñana and Sierra Nevada natural areas and the Cabo de Gata Natural Park.
(6) Preparation of a report on the climate change actions carried out by the volunteers taking part in this programme.
The volunteers’ activities will be supported by the creation of a LIFE Adaptamed manual on volunteering.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €128,748.
- • The only partner involved in this action is the Andalusian Ministry of the Environment and Planning.
E5 Euro-Mediterranean Conference on dissemination and training activities regarding methodologies for governance and adaptation to climate change.
This conference is designed to inform the international community of the outcomes of the project, and will take place at the Science Park in Granada, Andalusia. It is planned for March 2020. The conference will have an international focus and will include plenary presentations, sessions on a number of specific subjects, round table discussions and workshops.
It will be divided into two parts: the first will focus on the presentation and divulgation of the project’s outcomes, conclusions, products and tools, particularly those aimed at public administrations and decision-makers at the local, national and Mediterranean-wide level with responsibility for managing natural areas. It will also offer an opportunity to discuss potential commitments and future actions with sectors and institutions that play a key role at the local level.
The second part will focus on training, and will explore not only the technical and methodological aspects of the C actions, but also the governance-related issues arising out of the experience gained during the implementation of preparatory actions A7 and E10 and the project as a whole. The training strategy set out at the conference will then be shared with the rest of the partners, so that they can contribute their own ideas and give their approval. Likewise, the representatives of each partner who take part in the event as speakers/trainers will also be identified.
The training activities will be designed for managers and technical personnel from other protected areas within the Euro-Mediterranean region.
The specialist environmental media will also form part of the target audience for the event. To this end, during the workshop the environmental journalists will be given a media kit, or quick guide, on the subject of adaptation to climate change and the potential outcomes of the project (see action E1).
Additionally, the publications resulting from the project will be presented during the event.
The conference will have a duration of two days, with plans for an additional day of visits so that the participants can observe practical case studies in situ and at first hand. Given the international nature of the event, we are planning to use interpretation services.
During the workshop, we also plan to distribute informative materials created over the course of the project, and will create a number of posters to provide a visual presentation of the project’s outcomes for each of the protected natural areas.
- The total estimated cost for this action is €38,282.
- The only partner involved in this action is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
E6 “Window on Science” for adaptation to climate change.
The “Window on Science” is a transparent space, open to the media and general public alike, that aims to present the scientific and innovation-related aspects of various initiatives in the fields of science and management, promote scientific vocations, and raise awareness of the importance of R&D+i in a modern, sustainable, democratic society. It is the ideal vehicle for carrying out a practical transfer of knowledge to society, with specific regard to these experiences of adaptive management in relation to climate change. It also makes it possible to contextualise all of the content, thereby making all of the information accessible to a non-specialist audience.
The “Window” is a space of some 60 m2 that is able to house small-scale, interactive exhibitions. Visitors are always guided by a monitor.
Content is presented to the public in a number of formats:
- Exhibition elements: laboratory or field instruments, recreations of the workspaces of the scientists and managers (both indoor and outdoor), field notebooks, management documents, etc.
- Audiovisual materials.
- Graphic materials.
- Workshops.
Over the course of the project, we plan to create two “Windows on Science” at the Science Park.
The first was open to the public from November 2017 to January 2018. Titled “Andalusia’s Protected Natural Areas: Ecosystems that Protect Us”, it introduced the project and underlined the potential of the three protected natural areas to act as natural laboratories. It also helped to raise awareness among society of the importance of managing ecosystems so that they are able to protect the vital ecosystem services they provide. To this end, the temporary exhibition incorporated the following key resources:
- • A computer simulator and a number of different modules, which enabled visitors to observe the evolution of the forests over the last century, gain an understanding of the effect that certain parameters such as density and patch size can have on a forest’s evolution, and learn about the advantages of a mixed and heterogeneous forest in terms of adaptation to climate change.
- • The diorama of an area of juniper scrubland high up in the Sierra Nevada, including a traditional canal for channelling snowmelt, helped visitors to identify some of the key services provided by the ecosystem, such as seed dispersal, pollination and the supply of water.
- • The exhibition also included a module that continuously measured the concentration of water and CO2 in a section of pasture, in order to analyse its capacity to act as a carbon sink – and therefore its role in slowing climate change.
The second “Window on Science” is planned for 2021. Like the first edition, it will also be open for three months, and will present the project’s outcomes to the public in an interactive manner.
The total estimated cost for action E6 is €43,828. The party responsible for this action is the Science Park.
E7 Travelling exhibition on adaptation to climate change.
The Science Park has designed and produced a travelling exhibition, which goes by the title of “Climate Change, Global Change: Take It Seriously and Act”. The exhibition is focused on the project actions and takes the form of 19 information panels and a series of materials, which enable visitors to experience linked resources that increase their understanding of the concepts involved in the complex issue of global change.
This micro-exhibition opened on 26 February 2020 at Bulyanas Secondary School in Pulianas, Granada Province. There, the students themselves presented the exhibition to those attending, and also demonstrated a number of experiments through which they explained the key concepts that form part of the complex issue of global change. The event was attended by the Provincial Delegate for Education, Sport, Equality, Social Policy and Reconciliation; the Regional Delegate for Agriculture, Livestock Farming, Fisheries and Sustainable Development in Granada; the Director of the Sierra Nevada Natural Park; the Scientific Director of the Science Park; and the Mayor of Pulianas.
Although the exhibition is a resource for the educational community, it is also a useful tool for dissemination and raising awareness on the part of the natural parks of Andalusia, visitor centres, and the municipalities linked to the protected areas and their spheres of influence. It will help students, and society in general, to understand the key aspects of the problem, realise its magnitude and acknowledge the need to make a commitment – both individual and collective – in order to mitigate its consequences.
Looking beyond traditional informative materials in digital and paper format, we will also employ methodologies for learning and divulgation that use large-scale, experiential and interactive resources combining different media (video, text, workshops, etc.) in an integrated format. Moreover, the outcomes of these innovative methodologies tend to be especially satisfactory, while their format ensures they remain useful and capable of contributing to the project’s objectives even after the project has been implemented (i.e. by serving as a travelling exhibition), thereby offering a highly advantageous cost-benefit ratio.
The micro-exhibition consists of:
- • A sequence of 19 large-scale panels that are easy to assemble, transport and store and will enable visitors to learn about the key aspects of the issue: namely, what is driving climate change, what is currently happening, what can be done, and the role played by the LIFE Adaptamed project in this respect.
- • Case with materials for experimental educational experiences.
- • Teaching guide for the content of the exhibition.
Every year, an average of 25 schools request micro-exhibitions from the Science Park. Even before it opened, this new exhibition on climate change already had 11 booking requests from schools in Cádiz, Málaga, Granada, Seville, Jaén and Córdoba.
Three copies of the exhibition have been produced, of which two will be used to create a travelling exhibition visiting various primary and secondary schools throughout Andalusia. The third will be used in visitor centres in the protected natural areas, nature classrooms, and other centres linked to the management of natural resources.
The total estimated cost for this action is €48,618. The partner responsible for this action is the Science Park.
E8 Meet the Scientists and Managers.
The implementation of this action will coincide with the opening of the “Window on Science”, which is designed to present the results of the project to visitors from schools. It consists of an informal meeting between the researchers and managers involved in the project and the students from the Children’s and Youth Councils at the Science Park.
(1) The Science Park will contact those researchers who are interested in working with the students.
(2) The organisers of the activity will book the necessary spaces, prepare the necessary technical resources and carry out promotional activities.
In a relaxed setting, the researchers will tell the students about their day-to-day reality of their work, the importance of the project, and how the actions of the scientists and managers impact on their daily lives and surroundings. The researchers who take part will be distinguished professionals in their field, i.e. the study of the effects of climate change on socio-ecological systems. Priority will be given to researchers whose work focuses on adaptation to climate change as a tool for protecting ecosystem services. Similarly, the managers must be recognised professionals with a background in adaptive management, the protection of ecosystem services and the evaluation of the effects of climate change on the areas they are responsible for managing.
The students attending the meeting will have the opportunity to ask the researchers any questions that may occur to them.
The session will take place in the Faraday Room at the Science Park.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €43,828.
- • The only partner involved in this action is the Science Park.
E9 LIFE Aadaptamed web platform: dissemination, access to information and “citizen science” regarding climate change in Andalusia and the Mediterranean.
This action involves the development of an online dissemination platform that will provide access to the data stored in the information system for monitoring climate change.
This platform will make it possible to divulge and share the project’s outcomes: not only with regard to the overall results, but also the results of each of the adaptation actions that are implemented in the different areas of focus, thereby maximising the platform’s demonstrative function. Beyond simply offering a detailed view of the information in its most broken-down format, the platform will provide an insight into the processes of global change from the perspective of its impact on the ecosystems and their services, in a way that lends visibility to the relationships between the different elements that comprise said ecosystems and services.
In addition to general informative content for the project and its actions, the creation of this platform will also require the development or adaptation of a series of specific tools that will enable users to easily access the different types of information stored in the information systems for monitoring climate change. Examples include an interface to consult alphanumeric data in the different databases that make up the system, and one or more geographic displays that will allow users to visualise the variables and spatialised data. These elements will be based on standardised, interoperable formats for web services, and will form part of a geoportal in accordance with the guidelines set by the European INSPIRE directive and global initiatives such as GEOSS.
The effectiveness and functionality of this platform will be complemented by the inclusion of the content created in other E actions, which will analyse – from a communication-oriented perspective – the information offered by the system and disseminated via the platform, and extract key messages that will be easily understood by the general public and is able to be shared: not only through the web platform itself, but also via social media and the media in general.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €84,000.
- • The partners involved in this action are the Andalusian Ministry of the Environment and Planning and the Andalusian Environment and Water Agency.
E10 Governance for the active management of climate change in protected natural areas.
This action will enable the creation of subject-specific working subgroups on climate change, operating within the framework of the participatory bodies pertaining to each natural area (the Participation Councils of the Doñana and Sierra Nevada natural areas and the Governing Board of the Cabo de Gata Natural Park). While the project is ongoing, the subgroups will function as local committees with responsibility for monitoring the project actions and planning future activities related to the process of adapting to climate change in the three protected natural areas. To this end, one of the aims of this action is to define a set of strategic plans for adaptation to climate change in the three locations. In turn, these strategic plans will help lay the foundations for the strategy to follow after the project has ended. The subgroups that already exist within the participatory bodies will be used if they meet the necessary requirements for monitoring the actions related to climate change; otherwise, new subgroups will be created on an ad hoc basis.
At the start of the project, and with the support of each local partner and the managers of the locations in question, a meeting will be held to inform the councils of the project actions, the methodological focus and the anticipated outcomes.
Emphasis will be placed on the ecosystem services that the adaptation actions will help to preserve. Those present will be invited to contribute opinions with regard to the implementation of the corresponding activities.
The second aim of this initial meeting will be to establish a subgroup on climate change. To this end, the group’s terms of reference (aims and framework for action) will be agreed upon, and the group will be formally created in accordance with the specific circumstances of each council (i.e. whether it is a new subgroup, or whether the corresponding tasks will be assigned to an existing subgroup).
At a minimum, the tasks/aims assigned to the subgroup on climate change (local committee) will comprise the following:
– Review and validation of the working methodology to be adopted, including measures for monitoring;
– Review and validation of the monitoring reports for the project’s C actions;
– Definition of a post-project strategic plan of action on climate change for the natural area in question. This plan will also set out the effective measures to ensure the maintenance of communication between the local interest groups involved in LIFE Adaptamed after the project has ended. These interest groups will be urged to continue performing their functions with regard to designing and communicating priorities, approaches and strategies which, in turn, must be duly integrated into the strategic plans that will be defined as part of this action.
– Participation in actions to divulge information related to the project.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €31,134.
- • The only partner involved in this action is the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
E11 Networking with other LIFE and non-LIFE projects.
This action will enable attendance at events where it may be possible to share information regarding the project actions and to learn from or exchange experiences with other professionals, projects or initiatives that may be able to make a significant contribution to the project’s objectives.
Additionally, as part of this action we will make contact with other projects (whether LIFE or otherwise) that focus on the same subject, in order to exchange approaches, tools, results and solutions to the problems we encounter. To achieve this, we will create a database of target projects, using information provided by the partners. Each partner will be assigned a list of at least three key projects and/or institutions, and tasked to identify synergies and opportunities for cooperation. The projects or initiatives to consider must be consistent with the focus of this project (i.e. adaptation to climate change in order to protect key ecosystem services) and/or the target ecosystem and/or governance structure (i.e. national parks, natural parks, biosphere reserves or World Heritage Sites), in order to ensure the dissemination and reproducibility of the actions in every respect. As well as the initiatives to consider, each partner must also identify the type of collaboration that will take place. IUCN-Med will coordinate and monitor this action and ensure the standardisation of the information that will be shared via the communication plan (which is to be developed in accordance with action E1). The databases that will be used to identify and make contact with these projects include Climate-ADAPT (the European Climate Adaptation Platform), the Spanish Climate Change Office (MAGRAMA), the database of the IUCN’s Ecosystems Commission, the database of the UNFCCC, the official database of LIFE projects, and databases of other projects that fall within the remit of the European Commission. Moreover, the action will also draw on the network of contacts of IUCN-Med, which has more than 200 members in the Mediterranean region and is, in turn, a member of numerous initiatives related to the objectives of this project, such as the Network of Protected Marine Areas (MedPAN), the Mountain Partnership and the MedWet initiative.
With specific regard to mountain ecosystems, IUCN-Med will reactivate the existing network of contacts related to adaptive management of global change in mountain areas, which it had previously identified in Morocco and Turkey. Additionally, the Sierra Nevada Global Change Observatory (which forms part of CMAOT, the coordinating beneficiary and project partner) is a member of the Mountain Research Initiative (MRI).
The target initiatives that have already been identified for project-oriented networking include:
– At the national level:
1) The Global Change Monitoring Network, which forms part of the National Park Network. This network is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Environment, and its objective is to share methodologies for monitoring the impacts of global change. The network places special emphasis on translating the results of the monitoring process into management practice, in order to promote adaptation on the part of ecosystems.
2) Organisations connected to the Spanish Climate Change Office, whose functions include the building of relationships with European institutions, public administrations, NGOs, public and private institutions and organisations and other social actors, for the purposes of collaborating in initiatives related to the fight against climate change and promoting the integration of measures to adapt to climate change in the planning process for sectoral policies.
– At the international level:
1) The Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, at both the national and European level. This network has members in many European countries and holds annual meetings. The network’s aim is to harmonise the protocols for monitoring biophysical variables. Forging links with this network would be particularly helpful with regard to actions D7 and D8.
2) The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER-Europe). SER is a network of scientific experts and managers whose aim is to share their experiences of restoring ecosystems in Europe. It is of particular interest with regard to the C actions.
3) LifeWatch: European e-Science infrastructure for biodiversity and ecosystem research.
4) EU BON: European Biodiversity Observation Network.
5) European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT).
6) Euro-Mediterranean Centre on Climate Change.
7) European Environment Agency.
8) IUCN/UNEP/UNDP Ecosystem-based adaptation programme.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €17,100.
- • The partners involved in this action are the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Andalusian Ministry of the Environment and Planning and the Andalusian Environment and Water Agency.
E12 Project information panels.
This action comprises the production and installation of 15 bespoke signs on the subject of the project actions and the key aspects that LIFE Adaptamed aims to communicate to visitors to the protected natural areas in question. These signs will be placed within said areas, in locations where there is a certain influx of visitors, in order to maximise their purpose, i.e. to communicate and amplify the outcomes and concepts of the LIFE Adaptamed project.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €12,825.
- • The only partner involved in this action is the Andalusian Ministry of the Environment and Planning.
E13 Layman’s report.
The layman’s report will be produced in paper and electronic format at the end of the project (during the first six months of the final year). At a minimum, it will be drafted in English and Spanish. The report will provide details of the objectives, actions and outcomes of the project, and will be intended for the general public.
- • The total estimated cost for this action is €10,900.
- • The partners involved in this action are the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the Andalusian Ministry of the Environment and Planning and the Andalusian Environment and Water Agency.