Facing the increasing environmental and socioeconomic challenges that threaten the forests of southwestern Europe, the SocialForest project stands out as an avant-garde and collaborative initiative.
Funded by the European Territorial Cooperation Program Interreg, SocialForest aims to adapt the forests of Spain, France, and Portugal to climate change, strengthen their resilience to natural disasters, and contribute to the development of the rural areas in which they are located.
Among its goals, SocialForest aims to develop a Transnational Forestry Strategy and Action Plans based on an ecosystem-based approach and the services these provide.
To this end, it has defined seven strategically selected pilot sites in the regions of Murcia, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Alentejo, Occitanie, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which are representative of the main forests in southwestern Europe: pine forests, holm oak groves, juniper forests, agroforestry systems, oak groves, and beech forests.
Thanks to satellite monitoring work, it has already been possible to identify the degree of response of some of these forests to episodes such as rising temperatures, prolonged drought periods, etc., characteristic of the current climate change scenario.
Particularly interesting have been the initial results obtained, which have allowed us to identify how a well-managed forest is significantly more resilient than one lacking management.
The consequences of this study are very relevant since, on one hand, they debunk conservation approaches based on “non-action” and, on the other, they convey to society as a whole (owners, managers, administrations, companies, citizens) the enormous challenge of how to make such forest management effective in a territory like that of southwestern Europe, where it is deficient, and where many forests have serious problems of abandonment derived from rural exodus.
Precisely, ensuring the durability and sustainability of forest management and promoting the replicability of the results achieved is one of the goals of SocialForest. To this end, throughout 2025 and 2026, it will launch a series of training initiatives that will include workshops, seminars, and courses designed to improve the skills of forest owners and managers, as well as other key actors.
SocialForest closely aligns with the objectives of the European Green Deal. Through its integrated forest management strategy, the project directly contributes to the conservation of habitats and species, the protection of biodiversity, the sustainable use of natural resources, the promotion of the bioeconomy, and the strengthening of the adaptation of forest management to climate change.
