REST-COAST
Large scale RESToration of COASTal ecosystems through rivers to sea connectivity
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Project summary
REST COAST will demonstrate to what extent upscaled coastal restoration can provide a low-carbon adaptation, reducing risks and providing gains in biodiversity for vulnerable coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands or sea grass beds. By overcoming present technical, economic, governance and social barriers to restoration upscaling, REST COAST will develop the large-scale river-coast connectivity and increase the nearshore accommodation space for the resilient delivery of coastal ecosystem services (ESS). The selected ESS (risk reduction, environmental quality and fish provisioning) touch urgent coastal problems such as the erosion/flooding during recent storms or the accelerating coastal habitat degradation that seriously affects fisheries and aquaculture. By enhancing these ESS under present and future climates at 9 Pilots that represent the main EU regional seas (Baltic, Black, North, Atlantic and Mediterranean) we shall increase the commitment of citizens, stakeholders and policy makers for a long-term maintenance of restoration.
REST-COAST will expand coastal restoration, implementing hands-on interventions by integrating all WP enablers into a systemic approach that delivers ESS and BDV gains. Such a systemic restoration will result in large scale projects that incorporate new techniques and financial – management innovation for risk reduction, coastal adaptation and governance transition, with an increase in awareness/capacities. The scalable adaptation-through-restoration plan will enable a better socioeconomic compatibility with natural capital, avoiding further degradation in ESS that may lead to accelerated climate change.
This project addresses the European Commissions Call for Proposal: ‘H2020-EU.3.5. – SOCIETAL CHALLENGES – Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials’
Start date: 1.10.2021
Project duration: 54 Months
Project volume: about 17.8 million Euro
