Precilience is a €10 million Horizon Europe project that will develop precision solutions together with farmers, foresters, landowners and other stakeholders to increase climate resilience in the boreal regions of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) will contribute both in agricultural adaptation measures focusing on the development of catch crops and water storage and pest and disease risk for both agriculture and forestry.
Climate change is seriously affecting boreal regions and their communities as these areas are warming three times faster than the global average. Farmers, foresters and landowners face major challenges in coping with these changing conditions, creating an urgent need for proven solutions to help them adapt and prepare for a sustainable future. Precilience aims to achieve just that: precision solutions that increase the climate resilience of the agriculture and forestry on which our communities depend.
In Precilience, the aim is to bridge the gap between science and targeted, practical implementation by local actors through collaboration. Project results will be developed together with stakeholders, resulting in real-world solutions developed by those who will use and benefit from them. The project aims to extend the use of locally implemented solutions to other suitable regions by demonstrating their suitability in a real production environment.
Solutions will be developed and tested in eleven regions of the temperate boreal region of Europe, in close collaboration with organisations in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Topics explored in the project include:
- Co-creation of adaptation strategies
- Diversification of agricultural production
- Sustainable water management and recycling
- Improving soil functioning
- Assessment of vulnerable forest types
- Innovative forest regeneration in drought-prone areas
- Close-to-nature forest management
- Using climate-adapted tree material to replant forests
Individuals and organisations are encouraged to get involved, to advise, share experience and knowledge and help shape what will be an important project. It is a partnership of 16 organisations led by the Natural Resources Institute of Finland (Luke) and includes Aarhus University; Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO); Estonian University of Life Sciences; Luontoa Consulting; Oppla; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU); Technical University of Munich; Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI); Skogkurs Forestry Extension Institute Norway; Østfold County Council; Indre Østfold Municipality; SEGES Innovation; Soil Protection Estonia; Eesti Erametsaliit and Riigimetsa Majandamise Keskus.
By providing farmers, foresters, landowners and other stakeholders with precision solutions to adapt to climate change, Precilience aims to support positive outcomes for nature, the European Green Deal and global action under the Global Biodiversity Framework, accelerating the conservation and restoration of nature.
