Zonas Humidas Costeiras como solução climatica natural: Desvendando os Impactos da Renaturalizacao e Restauro no Carbono Azul - stock e emissoes de gases de efeito de estufa

Coastal wetlands and Blue Carbon Ecosystems offer important climate mitigation and adaptation opportunities to cope with the biodiversity-climate crisis, but multiple threats and global changes impair their sustainability, with worldwide consequences for both people and nature. International and EU priorities have highlighted the need to reverse the degradation and loss of these crucial ecosystems and therefore contribute to the EU carbon-neutrality targets, increase biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided. BLUE-REWET will integrate several scientific disciplines (eg. natural sciences, social sciences, economics) in order to accomplish the objectives. The main goals are to map and characterize the current rewilded areas at a coastal lagoon (Ria de Aveiro, Portugal), to optimize restoration methodologies and restore intertidal rewilded CW, assess the current and near future effects of CW rewilding and restoration on C stocks and GHGs emissions on reference versus rewilded versus restored CW, in a global change context. Target areas include climate-related vulnerable areas (due to SLR) and rewilded areas. BLUE-REWET will also assess and project the impacts of vulnerability to SLR, the effects of rewilding and restoration on C stock loss (or gain) and GHG emissions, estimate the value of protecting these CW (link to conservation financing from C market) and engage and empower local communities. We will co-develop scenarios with stakeholders using participatory processes, scope the potential of wetlands for C market, implement capacity building actions for local population and fishing communities, and contribute to the young generations awareness of CW and nature protection, rewilding and climate mitigation literacy at schools. Several disciplines will be integrated through a multidisciplinary approach and team. A solid knowledge of these systems from a biological and ecological perspective is essential, in turn integrated with other research fields to contribute to comprehensive and global outputs. In detail, BLUE-REWET OBJECTIVES are: 1. Assess Ria de Aveiro intertidal CW spatial changes over time, identify main vulnerability status (due to SLR) and rewilded areas ; 2. Improve and optimize halophyte restoration techniques (nursery creation) and facilitate restoration (using 3D-biodegradable structures) for CW rewilded areas; 3. Assess the effects of rewilding and restoration on CW climate regulation capacity (Blue C stocks and GHG emissions); 4. Apply MARXAN with Zones software to develop prospective scenarios of i) Blue C stock vulnerability and GHG emissions in rewilded and restored CW; ii) CW resilience and temporal changes. Identify suitable areas for recovery and new strategies to counteract climate change-related pressures, contributing to better informed decisions for coastal management and CW conservation. 5. Scope the potential for a payment for ecosystem services (PES) scheme (targeting Blue C) at Ria and develop a Project Implementation Note (PIN) for appropriate C standard and/or show how integration into compliance markets or nationally determined contributions (NDCs) can be achieved. 6. Engage diverse stakeholders (citizens, public administration, local communities), implement capacity building actions, i.e. an innovative and successful program of job creation for local fishing/bait digging communities, boost CW literacy and strongly increase their willingness to protect CW, assuring the post-project legacy.