Ria Formosa Participatory Workshop | SHIFT-MARES

Today, at the University of Algarve – Gambelas Campus, a workshop is taking place to deepen the dialogue between science, local communities, and the tourism sector regarding the impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystem services.

The session, entitled “Variations in Ria Formosa Ecosystem Services under Climate Change Scenarios: Impacts on Coastal Tourism”, includes scientific presentations, debates, and participatory exercises, led by *Fátima Alves and *Rosário Rosa, in collaboration with Francisco Leitão and Irene Martins (CCMAR-CIIMAR) and their team from the University of Porto.

In the opening session, Fátima Alves presents the workshop’s objectives and methodologies.

Throughout the day, Fátima Alves and Rosário Rosa facilitate the following exercises:

• Debate with diverse stakeholders on the project’s anticipated results;

• Identification and discussion of measures to mitigate the effects of climate change and other pressures on the Ria Formosa;

• Co-participatory exercise to co-develop and prioritise measures to reduce the loss of ecosystem services linked to tourism in the Ria Formosa.

The aim is to identify mitigation measures for the effects of climate change and other pressures on Ria Formosa, as well as to co-develop strategies to protect ecosystem services essential for sustainable tourism.

This initiative is part of the SHIFT-MARES project, which promotes a just ecological transition and strengthens coastal governance through the co-production of knowledge between science, public policy, and local practices.

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