Modeling nature-based and cultural recreation preferences in mediterranean regions as opportunities for smart tourism and diversification

The tourism and recreational o er of Mediterranean destinations involves, essentially, the promotion of mass tourism, based on the appeal of the sun and beach, and the quality of its coastal assets. Alongside the impacts of climate change, poor tourism diversification represents a threat to the resilience of the territory. Thus, heterogenization of noncoastal tourism products presents an opportunity to strengthen regional resilience to present and future challenges, hence the need to study, comparatively, the complementary preferences of tourists and residents of these regions in order to unveil their willingness to diversify their recreational experience, not only in coastal spaces, but also—and especially—in interior territories with low urban density. Consequently, this strategic option may represent a way of strengthening resilience and sustainability through diversification. In this context, a survey was conducted among 400 beach tourists and 400 residents of a case study—namely, three municipalities of the Algarve region in southern Portugal—in order to analyze their degree of preference for activities besides the sun and beach, such as nature-based and cultural tourism activities, and to probe the enhancement potential of each tourism and recreational activity through the various landscape units considered by experts, stakeholders, and tour operators. The respective degree of preference and enhancement potential were indexed to the area of each landscape unit. Subsequently, respecting the existing recreational structure and constraints, a suitability map for territory enhancement and the implementation of smart tourism practices for each tourism activity and landscape unit is presented. Results show a significant preference for noncoastal outdoor recreational activities.FCT- Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia: SFRH/BD/102328/2014; PTDC/GES-URB/31928/2017info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Alterações da paisagem decorrentes da construção da barragem do Alqueva: cenários para 2025, 2050 e 2100

A construção da barragem do Alqueva deu origem ao maior lago artificial da Europa, um enorme reservatório hídrico criado mediante o intento de aposta do regadio como elemento primordial no desenvolvimento da região do Alentejo. A esta vasta albufeira corresponde uma extensa envolvente que, em virtude da nova disponibilidade hídrica, tem apresentado alterações na paisagem em termos de uso do solo assentes na irrigação, turismo, entre outros fatores. No entanto, estas alterações poderão acarretar consequências ainda não estudadas concertadamente, como é o caso da erosão do solo que por deposição de sedimentos poderá assorear a barragem antes da mesma atingir o seu período de vida útil, comprometendo, assim, um dos maiores investimentos públicos realizados em território nacional. Tendo em vista esta problemática, a presente dissertação reveste-se de objetivos que passam pela análise da paisagem da Envolvente à Albufeira do Alqueva e cenarização das alterações de uso do solo para o futuro (2025, 2050 e 2100), seja pela elaboração de cenários projetivos de tendências passadas, como através de cenários prospetivos (produção de biomassa para bioenergia, intensificação da agricultura por via do regadio, incremento do turismo rural e desenvolvimento de resorts de golf, e alterações climáticas). Estes cenários territoriais são a peça fundamental do trabalho dissertativo que se apresenta, os quais possibilitam ensaiar acerca das implicações das alterações de uso do solo na erosão do solo, descortinadas pela variação do fator C (fator relativo à cobertura do solo) da equação de estimativa de perda de solo: Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE)

Soil erosion vulnerability under scenarios of climate land-use changes after the development of a large reservoir in a semi-arid area

Climate and land-use/cover changes (LUCC) influence soil erosion vulnerability in the semi-arid region of Alqueva, threatening the reservoir storage capacity and sustainability of the landscape. Considering the effect of these changes in the future, the purpose of this study was to investigate soil erosion scenarios using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model. A multi-agent system combining Markov cellular automata with multi-criteria evaluation was used to investigate LUCC scenarios according to delineated regional strategies. Forecasting scenarios indicated that the intensive agricultural area as well as the sparse and xerophytic vegetation and rainfall-runoff erosivity would increase, consequently causing the soil erosion to rise from 1.78 Mg ha(-1) to 3.65 Mg ha(-1) by 2100. A backcasting scenario was investigated by considering the application of soil conservation practices that would decrease the soil erosion considerably to an average of 2.27 Mg ha(-1). A decision support system can assist stakeholders in defining restrictive practices and developing conservation plans, contributing to control the reservoir's siltation

learning lessons across borders

UID/SOC/04647/2013publishersversionpublishe

Bridging the gap in the knowledge on the role of spatial planning in the reduction of wildfire risk: insights from Portugal

The 2017 wildfires marked a dramatic milestone in Portuguese society, which corresponded to an extreme intensity and the inherent loss of life, property, and thousands of forest hectares. This high impact led to a paradigm shift regarding prevention and firefighting, highlighting the need for an integrated fire management approach and assuming as imperative the integration of wildfire risk reduction on spatial planning at municipal level. This turning point was expressed in the prolific legislative production, namely in the guidelines for preventing and fighting wildfires, given by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers (RCM) n.º 157-A/2017; on the principles set out in the Directive for Preventing and Fighting Wildfires, defined by the RCM n.º 20/2018; in the approval of the National Plan for the Integrated Management of Wildfires (PNGIFR), emanated from the RCM n.º 45-A/2020, which established the need to implement an Integrated Management System for Wildfires (SGIFR), whose vision and objectives were defined in the RCM n.º 12/2019, and its operating rules were enacted in the Decree-Law n.º 82/2021. As such, the SGIFR establishes, at a national level, strategic guidelines with a view of risk reduction, changing the behaviour of owners, users and other beneficiaries of the rural territory. In addition, SGIFR proposes integrating wildfire risk reduction in spatial planning through the insertion of fire hazard map, namely in the master planâ€(r)s constraints map (i.e., the map where are identified the administrative easements and public utility restrictions that may constitute limitations or impediments to any specific form of land use). The constraint map is one of the documents of the Municipal Master Plan, i.e., the fundamental legal instrument in the management of the municipal territory that defines the strategic framework for territorial development and the spatial organisation model of the municipal territory. This paper identifies the weaknesses of the approach proposed by the SGIFR to promote wildfire risk reduction through spatial planning, and its short and long-term impacts. Firstly, we used an online questionnaire answered by 18 municipalities from the Centre Region of Portugal, in order to examine the local expertsâ€(r) experience in applying the legislation of spatial planning and wildfire management policies. In a second step, we collected data from a focus group with representatives of the technical forestry office from 8 municipalities where the difficulties, the challenges and needs to integrate spatial planning and wildfire risk reduction were discussed. One of the main weaknesses is related with the integration of the fire hazard map in the constraints map of the Municipal Master Plan, considering the high inter-annual variability of fire hazard and the long-term definition of the municipal development model. This procedure will create building permit constraints which can limit the development and continue to favour the depopulation of the rural areas. This paper contributes to bridging a critical gap in knowledge on the role of spatial planning in the reduction of wildfire hazard and exposure, given the characteristics of fire hazard that are distinctive from other natural hazards (e.g., floods, costal erosion, earthquakes)

Bridging knowledge gaps on the role of spatial planning in wildfire risk reduction: insights from Portugal

Background. This paper identifies the weaknesses of the Portuguese approach to promote wildfire risk reduction through spatial planning. Aims. This paper contributes to bridging a critical gap in knowledge on the role of spatial planning in the reduction of wildfire hazard, given that the characteristics of fire hazard are distinctive from other natural hazards. Methods. Firstly, we used an online questionnaire answered by 175 municipalities of Portugal in order to examine local technicians' experience in applying spatial planning legislation and wildfire management policies. In a second step, we collected data from a Delphi survey with 27 experts with the aim of confirming or repudiating the importance of each need for integration between spatial planning and rural fire management indicated by the replies of the 175 municipalities. Key results, conclusions, and implications. One of the main identified weaknesses relates to the integration of the National Hazard Map in the Constraints Map of the Master Plans, considering the high inter-annual variability of fire hazard and the long-term definition of the municipal spatial planning framework