REST COAST will demonstrate how upscaled coastal restoration can provide a low-carbon adaptation while reducing risks and providing gains in biodiversity for vulnerable coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands or sea grass beds. By overcoming the present technical, economic, governance, and social barriers to restoration upscaling, REST COAST will develop a large-scale river-coast connectivity and increase the nearshore accommodation space for the resilient delivery of coastal EcoSystem Services (ESS).
The selected ESS, which include risk reduction, environmental quality, and fish provisioning, touch on urgent coastal problems. These problems, such as the erosion/flooding during recent storms or the accelerating coastal habitat degradation, seriously affects fisheries and aquaculture.
By enhancing these ESS under present and future climates at nine Pilots which represent the main EU regional seas (Baltic, Black, North, Atlantic and Mediterranean), REST COAST shall increase the commitment of citizens, stakeholders and policy makers for a long-term maintenance of restoration. This commitment will be partnered with a transformation of governance and financial structures, supported by evidence-based results on restoration benefits for the welfare of coastal societies and assets.
Combining new techniques, risk assessments, innovative financial/governance arrangements and homogeneous metrics for ESS and biodiversity, REST-COAST will develop a systemic approach to coastal restoration based on a scalable coastal adaptation plan. The plan will underpin a transformative change in governance and policies, proving the importance of the coastal dimension in the EU Green Deal for adaptation/mitigation under climate change. The proposed adaptation will facilitate replicating large scale restoration and introducing coastal ESS into national and international policies.
Read their collaborative policy brief titled "Comments on the draft Nature Restoration Law".
Read their policy briefs titled"Four EU projects join forces to enhance climate change adaptation in coastal areas" and "Setting the basis for coastal restoration"
