As expected for a project funded under the Climate Action domain of the LIFE Program, LIFE ÁGUA DA PRATA directly deals with issues that tackle three EU policy priorities: Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation and Climate Governance and Information, and more specifically on urban adaptation to climate change.
The project work and results most directly related to adaptation are in line with the Commission Communication "An EU Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change" and the Municipal Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation (in PT).
By implementing a pilot solution to address water scarcity, the project focuses on improving water use efficiency to promote other adaptations including strengthening the resilience of municipal green infrastructure through nature-based solutions and ecosystem approaches. In particular, the project has the potential to promote adaptation in the following vulnerable areas highlighted by the EU and LIFE:
- integrating adaptation into land use planning and natural resources management
- foreseen results:
- improved shadowing and microclimatic conditions of urban green areas to face heat waves, amounting to 10.100 m2 (to increase after-project, as trees grow);
- increased resilience/protection of stream margins to extreme precipitation events with nature-based solutions, covering 9.000 m2 (1.800 m stream stretch);
- foreseen results:
- sustainable management of water in drought-prone areas
- foreseen results:
- improved sustainable catchment and sustainable use of underground water to face surface water scarcity due to reduced precipitation, amounting up to 120.000 m3/yr;
- additional reduction of water consumption for irrigation, driven by water-efficiency support measures, amounting to about 30.000 m3/yr.
- foreseen results: