ECO-SMART

Introduction:

The general objective of the project is to assess and test at interregional level, through the pilot application of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes, the economic feasibility to finance actions to safeguard biodiversity in coastal areas of the Natura 2000 Network threatened by climate change.

To achieve this, four specific objectives were set and implemented:

1. Schemes were defined to identify and assess the vulnerability of ecosystem services in the 6 pilot Natura 2000 Network sites

The Partnership proceeded, for each pilot area, to identify ecosystem services based on the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (hereafter CICES), a classification system for ecosystem services developed by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The next step was to select the most relevant Ecosystem Services (ESS) that could become eligible for the application of a Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme.

This selection was based on three evaluation criteria: relevance, analysis of vulnerability status, and presence or absence of actors.

2. Drafting of 3 adaptation plans (2 in Italy and 1 in Slovenia) that will be made sustainable through Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes

The results of the analysis on the vulnerability of the most relevant ecosystem services allowed the Partnership to define the most suitable adaptation measures to make the ecosystem more resilient.

The adaptation measures were compiled in Adaptation Plans.

The Partnership selected the most suitable measures and subsequently prepared operational plans for each measure, assessing their economic feasibility.

At the same time, the most suitable PES was selected and simulated to test its effectiveness.

For the "Upper Lagoon of Venice" site, the PES - "Protection of the barenal margins from erosion" was studied, using the benefit-transfer method for the ecosystem services provided by the habitats and the "restoration and conservation costs" method for the barenal surface.

In the "Caorle Lagoon" site, the PES "Protection from storm surges with calculated dune defence system" was studied, using the "benefit-transfer" method for the ecosystem services provided and the "restoration and conservation costs" for the dune habitats.

In the "Cavana di Monfalcone" site, two PES were studied: the first called "natural resource management" and the second called "fruition" using the "benefit-transfer" method in both cases.

Finally, at the "Val Stagnon" site, the PES were studied: "Mitigation of climatic extremes" and

"Habitat mosaic for plant and animal species", using in both cases the "market cost" method as an estimation calculation.

3. The definition of a harmonised procedure defining the technical steps necessary to  implement PES

The study carried out made it possible to define a harmonised procedure defining the technical steps required to implement a PES.

The procedure emphasised that each stage must be supported primarily by continuous dialogue with the stakeholders who play an essential decision-making role in this process.

The proposed methodology for adopting the results within the framework consists of 4 main phases:

1. Acknowledgement of the project results;

2. Approval of the adaptation measures;

3. Approval of the PES scheme;

4. Formal transposition.

4. Capitalisation of results

Within the framework of the project, the knowledge acquired and the results achieved were widely disseminated by the partnership through seminars, transnational conferences and scientific and/or dissemination articles that reached a wide group of stakeholders: from the general public to economic operators, from sector associations to administrative and government bodies.

Finally, joint comparative reports of results and procedures were produced, which are  available on the ECO-SMART website and can be viewed free of charge.