Gata-Malcata, Cross-border collaboration for wildfire mitigation and water conservation

Anabela Paula* features in the video “Gata-Malcata: Cross-border collaboration for wildfire mitigation and water conservation”, produced within the framework of the European project PHOENIX.

Serra da Malcata in Portugal and Sierra de Gata in Spain share much more than a border — they are neighbouring territories linked by similar landscapes, common environmental concerns, and social realities shaped by rural isolation. It was precisely this combination of shared challenges and emerging opportunities that led to the selection of this region as a pilot site for the PHOENIX project.

The video invites us to explore this cross-border collaboration, which brings together local communities, researchers, and civil society organisations in the search for concrete solutions to two of today’s most pressing issues: rural wildfires and water scarcity. Promoting more sustainable land use, protecting water resources, and enhancing cooperation across the border are among the key approaches being explored in this forward-looking initiative.

* Societies and Environmental Sustainability Research Group of the Centre for Functional Ecology – Science for People & the Planet, Associated Laboratory TERRA at the University of Coimbra and its Extension at the Open University of Portugal