On October 25th, University of Évora and CIMAC (Intermunicipal Community of Central Alentejo) successfully co-hosted the CARDIMED workshop “Effective Digital Tools for Ecological Restoration of Riparian Galleries and Dehesas in Central Alentejo” on Demo 7 held at University of Évora´s School of Sciences and Technology, Portugal.
The workshop focused on integrating innovative digital tools to support the implementation of Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) to increase resilience and local adaptation to climate change, aligning with CARDIMED project’s mission to develop, demonstrate and integrate in sustainable land management practices in the Mediterranean region.
The event brought together 19 participants, from academic researchers to regional and municipal land management technicians of different fields. Altogether, the workshop fostered collaborative discussions to address the interests and needs of researchers and technicians working on ecological restoration of Mediterranean water streams and Montados (Dehesas).
The session was opened by Dr. Catarina Meireles, coordinator of the CARDIMED project at the University of Évora, and João Sardinha in representation of CIMAC. Together, they introduced the CARDIMED project, emphasizing the Nature-Based Solutions being implemented in Central Alentejo. Giorgios Siokas from LIBRA also joined the session remotely to present the Four Digital Solutions currently under development, such as NbS impact assessment tools, climate resilience dashboards, a citizen engagement app, and tools for the transferability of solutions across different regions.
A hands-on session followed, where participants engaged in discussions on the technical specifications of the four digital tools. Divided into three heterogeneous groups, participants conducted a prioritization exercise to refine user requirements for the Digital Twin solution. The session, conducted in a World Café style, was facilitated by a team from the University of Évora, including Catarina Meireles, Beatriz Romão, and Teresa Batista, alongside João Sardinha, Cristina Carriço, and Dulce Serranito from CIMAC. To close the session, a facilitator of each Digital Tool presented the key insights and ideas gathered during the session for the optimization and refinement of the digital tools.
The workshop successfully contributed to the CARDIMED project´s initiative by promoting participatory dialogue and encouraging the exchange of knowledge and experiences between land managers and the academic community, paving the way for the development of effective and optimized management tools that prove to be useful to local and regional entities working towards climate resilience and sustainable environmental practices across the Alentejo Central region.
