Objectives

 

Following the latest EU recommendations the main objective of the thematic strand is to promote the implementation of Green Infrastructure’s (GI) concept in Portugal and CLP countries. Furthermore, it is intended to identify particular situations that should be developed as GI, especially in Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The basis for the work to be developed is the National Ecological Network delimitated by the project PTDC/AURURB/102578/2008 – “National Ecological Network – a proposal of delimitation and regulation”, financed by FCT. This network is equivalent to the concept of GI and integrates all the areas responsible for the ecological balance related with geology/lithology, geomorphology, soil, water, vegetation, climate and nature conservation specific areas. Another ongoing project - PTDC/AUR-URB/119340/2010 – “Potential Land-Use Ecological Plan. Application to Portugal”, will complement the National Ecological Network with cartographic information about land suitability for human activities, namely, agriculture, forest, pastures, nature conservation and urban areas. A comparison between land ecological suitability with existing land uses will give an idea of inadequate uses, degraded, abandoned and depressed (social and economically) areas that justify an intervention with the purpose of increasing its ecological value and recovering these areas to production, nature conservation, cultural heritage and leisure. The information resulting from those 2 projects composed by areas with high and very low ecological value, will constitute the starting point of the thematic strand research. With the purpose of implementation, the involved stakeholders will be identified for each case, like local and regional entities, farmers, landowners, etc. Simultaneously, an inventory of European and global funding programs will be pursued in order to gather conditions for planning, designing and implementation.

 

GI implementation requires specific and differentiated methodologies depending on being urban or rural environment. The obtained experience in CEAP along the past decade, shows that GI in urban space must be composed by ecological features as well as void spaces without character or function. The typologies of urban GI are far more diverse than the isolated tree or tree alignment including green spaces for leisure, agriculture, pastures or urban forest. Other more artificialized elements like green walls and roofs can recover lost continuities. A project will start at CEER addressing the use of green roofs in Shouthern Europe: NativeScapeGR - Green roofing with native species: alternative urban landscape areas to enhance water use and sustainability in Mediterranean conditions (EXPL/ATP-ARP/0252/2013). It is intended to initiate the study of native plant species and biocrusts use to create valued and valuable landscape urban areas, lowering water requirements to a minimum level, without compromising ornamental value, enhancing biodiversity and sustainability, whilst facilitating a tool for climate change adaptation. In rural space GI are different and correspond to the protection of waterlines and upperstreams, inland waters, namely reducing ecological risk from agrochemicals, fertile soil, natural and semi-natural vegetation under the form of woods, bushes and edges and coastal and marine areas. The multifunctional character of GI demands a complexity of uses, materials and energy which requires integrative methodologies, designed by different fields of knowledge.

 

A GI implementation process implies the ability of estimating costs and prioritizing actions in accordance to available resources and timing. Management of GI will be approached by management models to be created by this research group together with stakeholders. Public awareness and sensitivity will be another aim of the team. Seminars organization targeting different groups of people, along with divulgation brochures and internet products will be developed.