IHCantabria will design a Green and Blue Infrastructure Network for Cantabria in the RIVACAN project

IHCantabria launches the RIVACAN project, with the objectives of identifying which ecosystems should be conserved and restored, favoring the connectivity of habitats necessary for the maintenance of biodiversity and reducing vulnerability to climate risks.

The Environmental Hydraulics Institute of the Universidad de Cantabria (IHCantabria), with the collaboration of the association Red Cambera, applies its scientific knowledge and multidisciplinary experience in the study of socio-ecological systems related to the water cycle, to promote the RIVACAN project, an initiative that promotes adaptation to climate change and biodiversity loss through nature-based solutions. The RIVACAN project is supported by the Biodiversity Foundation of the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO), through co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

This proposal arises from the need to improve the current environmental management model, in a context marked by an increase in climate risks -floods, erosion, fires or drought- that affect both the population and key natural resources and infrastructures. At the same time, the deterioration of biodiversity and the increasing fragmentation of ecosystems require actions that integrate the protection of key habitats and species, guarantee the provision of ecosystem services such as the provision of clean water and food, climate regulation and recreational, cultural and spiritual benefits, and reinforce sustainable strategies for adaptation to climate change.

RIVACAN proposes to address these challenges through a participatory process involving public administrations, local stakeholders and citizens, encouraging the development of nature-based solutions that address the priority needs identified in the territory of Cantabria.

IHCantabria has a multidisciplinary team of experts in key areas for the development of the project, with outstanding experience in the study of biodiversity, composition and functioning of inland ecosystems -terrestrial and fluvial-, as well as estuarine and coastal ecosystems. He also has experience in the application of advanced tools for modeling the distribution of species and habitats at large scales (e.g., remote sensing) and in the quantification of the ecosystem services they provide.

IHCantabria’s capacity to identify climate risks, model biodiversity, analyze ecological connectivity and quantify ecosystem services, together with Red Cambera’s experience in the development of participatory processes aimed at nature conservation, will allow us to propose a prioritization of conservation and restoration areas with direct application in territorial planning strategies, biodiversity management and adaptation to climate change.