Trees4Adapt team recently participated in the first meeting of a new Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Financial Incentives for Fire-Resilient Landscape Measures, established under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.
Led by the Horizon Europe project REGILIENCE+ and building on previous work from FIRE-RES, the group brings together experts and Mission-funded projects to explore how financial tools and incentive schemes can support landscape management practices that improve resilience to wildfires and other climate-related risks.
The group’s objective is to develop an Adaptation Option document for policymakers and practitioners. These adapation options are meant to provide practical guidance on measures and instruments that can help regions and communities strengthen adaptive capacity or reduce climate-related risks.
The topic is closely linked to several areas of research within Trees4Adapt. During the meeting, participants highlighted the importance of designing incentives that consider both climate adaptation and biodiversity protection, while avoiding unintended consequences or maladaptation. Discussions also explored challenges related to land management, competing land-use priorities, and the complexity of land ownership in fire-prone regions.
These themes are highly relevant to Trees4Adapt, which investigates how tree-based solutions can help address the interconnected challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss across European landscapes. They are particularly relevant to the project’s Portuguese case study in Serra da Estrela, where wildfire risk is an important concern, as well as to the project’s work on the economic viability of tree-based solutions.
The first meeting marks the beginning of a short collaborative process that will continue throughout the summer, with participants invited to contribute comments and expertise to help shape the final adaptation guidance document.
Trees4Adapt will continue to engage with relevant EU initiatives and share knowledge that can support better-informed decisions for climate adaptation and biodiversity conservation across Europe.