The Noudar Nature Park (Alentejo, Portugal) will host a meeting of dehesa specialists on 20 and 21 April to analyse the present and future of this emblematic Mediterranean ecosystem. The event, part of the SocialForest Interreg Sudoe project, will bring together experts, researchers, and representatives from associations and academic institutions, with the aim of advancing concrete proposals for the conservation and sustainable management of the dehesa.<\/p>\n
This is the second time the expert group has met in Noudar to address recommendations on the management of these areas. During the meeting, working groups will be created to define the structure, develop proposals, and design a policy brief aimed at providing decision-makers in Portugal on dehesa matters (public administrations at all levels) with a solid basis to guide their actions.<\/p>\n
The set of recommendations identified is the result of an analysis of the public consultation on ecosystem services and priority management measures for the dehesa, as well as discussions from the first meeting of the expert group. These proposals explore possible ways to address the sector\u2019s long-standing problems identified by invited experts. They also aim to reverse the current situation of underfunding and lack of technical support for farmers; contribute to the gradual elimination of environmentally harmful subsidies; promote the rational use of economic and natural resources; and foster skills development, knowledge transfer, and innovation in the sector.<\/p>\n
The meeting, promoted by SocialForest partners Association for the Defence of the Heritage of M\u00e9rtola (ADPM) and EDIA, will be attended by around twenty representatives from scientific and agroforestry organisations. Participating entities will include staff from the Department of Hydraulic Engineering and Environment of the Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia (UPV), a SocialForest partner responsible for coordinating and leading the Transnational Forest Strategy developed within the project. The policy brief resulting from this meeting will prioritise some of the measures included in this strategy.<\/p>\n
This meeting represents a key opportunity to strengthen cooperation between institutions and to advance solutions that contribute to the preservation of a unique ecosystem, essential from both an environmental and socio-economic perspective.<\/p>\n