LIFE Project: Nature Governance: An innovative mission to enhance biodiversity conservation through land stewardship
- Type Project
- Status In progress
- Execution 2024 -2028
- Assigned Budget 1.742.069,00 €
- Scope Europeo
- Autonomous community Madrid, Comunidad de
- Main source of financing LIFE
- Project website Web del proyecto
LIFE Stewardship uses land stewardship approaches to foster collaboration between public and private entities, as well as civil society, for the conservation and restoration of nature in Spain, within the framework of the European Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and international agreements.
Spain is one of the most biodiverse countries in the European Union, but its biodiversity is under threat. To achieve the objectives of the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 and address the global biodiversity emergency, it will be necessary to improve environmental governance and identify effective tools. An important strategy for nature conservation and restoration is land management. Land management uses strategies and instruments that involve landowners (public and private), users, and other stakeholders in the conservation and sustainable use of natural, cultural, and landscape values and resources. The approach involves voluntary agreements between landowners and land management entities, such as land trusts, which are used to maintain or restore the natural environment. Land stewardship has been developing in Spain for more than 20 years, but greater collaboration between public administrations, the private sector (landowners, businesses, land managers), and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for nature conservation and restoration could lead to a structural increase in biodiversity conservation and restoration.
- Promote innovation along with the generation and promotion of good practices for nature conservation, applied to land management.
- Promote public policies with a special focus on greater legal security for land stewardship agreements and the promotion of incentives linked to the effectiveness of these agreements in the conservation and restoration of biodiversity.
- Promote collaboration between public and private entities, as well as civil society.
- Improve capacities, communication, and resources for nature conservation and restoration.
- Improve the quality, monitoring, and evaluation of land management agreements to measure their effectiveness in biodiversity conservation.
- Mobilize public and private funding for nature conservation.
- Maximize, replicate, and scale project results internationally, consolidating existing networks.
- Improved and expanded governance for nature conservation and restoration, with a clear strengthening of land management as a relevant tool.
- Define, actively implement, and mobilize a diversified public-private financing model for conservation and restoration management, including the strategic use of European funds.
- Improve management practices at the administrative and policy levels, and for biodiversity monitoring at the national and international levels.
- Develop a new framework for resource centers, knowledge sharing, and ongoing training opportunities for land stewardship professionals, public sector officials, private actors, and any other interested parties.
- More than 500 new land stewardship agreements have been signed in Spain, with more than 60% of the agreements currently in force and new ones registered nationally and internationally.
- Conservation impact on 15 habitats of interest and 5 bird species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive.
- Contact at least 50 national and 5 international political actors, including 10 national/regional governments and 20 municipalities, to improve management policies, records, and legislation.
- Hold three policy transfer events at EU level.
- Creation of a new national conservation financing model with 25 innovative projects in 15 provinces, impacting more than 5,000 hectares.
- Involve 300 employees from 80 companies, 50 public agencies, and 80 land management organizations in developing the framework and implementing the roadmap.
- Three new calls for funding linked to European funds for management objectives, with at least 20 projects approved.
- 10 land stewardship organizations participating in Horizon Europe proposals through 2027, with a minimum budget of €1 million.
- 15 capacity-building modules for 250 participants, massive online open course (MOOC)-style training for over 1,000 users, and at least 10 seminars for over 100 expert participants.
- Held 10 meetings of the Eurosite European working group with more than 12 participants from 12 EU countries.
- 13 policy documents on waste management at 3 European events.
- Representation in at least 5 international networks and 8 international conferences.
- Reaching more than 750,000 people, with 400 published pieces and 50 media professionals involved.
- 1,000 participants in the national management focal point.
- More than 5,000 visits to the resource center website.
- Creation of a portfolio of transferable innovations disseminated to more than 3,000 potential users in over 50 countries worldwide and in all Spanish regions.
- Coordinator/entity name: Victor GUTIERREZ
Postal address: CALLE PENUELAS 10, 28005, Madrid,
- FUNDACIÓN BIODIVERSIDAD
- XARXA PER A LA CONSERVACIO DE LA NATURA
- FORO DE REDES Y ENTIDADES DE CUSTODIA DEL TERRITORIO
- FUNDACION INTERUNIVERSITARIA FERNANDO GONZALEZ BERNALDEZ PARA LOS ESPACIOS NATURALES
- FUNDACION GLOBAL NATURE
- SOCIEDAD ESPANOLA DE ORNITOLOGIA SEO
- EUROSITE THE EUROPEAN LAND CONSERVATION NETWORK
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