Terrasafe

TERRASAFE is a recent initiative that is being co-funded by the European Union and the UK Research and Innovation agency, under the Mission Soil and, more specifically, the call topic “Innovations to prevent and combat desertification” (HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04; grant reference 101157373), having started on 1 June 2024 with a duration of 5 years. TERRASAFE envisages to empower local communities in southern Europe and northern Africa to successfully face the escalating challenges of desertification through the adoption of nature-based, social and technological innovations. TERRASAFE’s vision will be operationalized in 5 pilot areas in Cyprus, Italy, Romania, Spain and Tunisia that strongly contrast in socio–cultural-ecological circumstances. These 5 areas were specifically selected for sharing a high vulnerability to desertification, on the one hand, and, on the other, for representing the 4 main types of desertification, i.e., depopulation, soil degradation (through organic matter loss as well as through salinization), vegetation decline and water scarcity. TERRASAFE’s vision is supported by a transdisciplinary consortium, ranging from universities to SMEs commercially exploiting innovations. TERRASAFE’s vision is implemented through a multi-actor approach that covers all WPs, in particular by setting up 5 partnerships in the 5 pilot areas. In a co-creation process, these partnerships will then: (i) define their visions on building desertification resilience and plan their ensuing TERRASAFE work; (iia) map and analyze past and ongoing desertification, identifying in each pilot area the land-cover type that is the desertification hotspot; (iib) in the case of the Italian pilot area, carry out a narrative analysis of depopulation and the role therein of social innovation, in two contrasting sub-areas; (iii) evaluate and demonstrate innovations for the above-mentioned desertification hotspots, comparing them with current and, in principle, also traditional/organic practices; (iv) elaborate policy recommendation for the wider uptake of the "TERRASAFE-certified" innovations, both within and beyond the pilot areas, taking into account lessons learnt from past and ongoing policies against desertification; (v) share their TERRASAFE’s experience with the partnerships of the other 4 pilot areas as well as other desertification-prone communities and the general public. The consortium will support the 5 partnerships not only by providing harmonized frameworks for each activity but also by providing advice on adapting these frameworks to the partnerships’ specific needs. Finally, the 5 SME partners of TERRASAFE will provide a wide offer of innovative solutions that they will tailor towards the respective desertification hotspots, in close collaboration with the partnerships. Beyond the project itself, TERRASAFE envisages to impact the combat of desertification, both within Europe and across the globe,  by promoting the adoption of (part of) its approach by other desertification-prone communities as well as by fostering the widespread implementation of innovations that are both environmentally effective and economically feasible, including through business plans for the SMEs.