Many anticipate that a wildfire will leave behind a charred, barren landscape. However, when a blaze swept through Las Hurdes in Extremadura, Spain, in 2009, it revealed a different picture. Amidst the scorched ground were green patches of untouched, healthy trees.
From afar, it seemed the fire had simply stopped at these patches. In truth, this was intentional.
Fernando Pulido, an ecologist at the University of Extremadura, had been researching methods to slow wildfire spread. His work centered on “productive fire breaks” – strategically managed vegetation areas that hinder fires. In Las Hurdes, this strategy was effective.
“You can’t fight fires with just helicopters and water. We need more strategies to make these megafires less destructive,” he said.
The urgency is evident. In 2025, fires ravaged over 45,000 hectares in Extremadura, a region increasingly prone to wildfires. Projections indicate hotter, drier conditions ahead.
Pulido continues to develop these early experiments as part of a broader EU-funded initiative called RESIST to help vulnerable regions tackle climate change impacts.
Different regions across Europe face various climate risks. Some combat floods and landslides, others face drought and extreme heat. Solutions for one location’s risks often adapt well elsewhere.
The RESIST initiative unites researchers, local authorities, and businesses to test over 100 climate adaptation solutions, from new technologies to land management changes.
The goal is to streamline the transition from testing to real-world application.
Despite geographical distances, many regions share environmental similarities. Flood-prone Danish farmland parallels southern Latvian river basins, while Catalonia’s heat issues resemble those in southern Italy.
By connecting similar regions, solutions tested in one can be applied to another.
“These regions face different challenges and needs,” said Vilija Balionyte-Merle, RESIST’s project coordinator at SINTEF.
Communicating with local communities is key to understanding their issues and finding applicable solutions for both local and twinning regions.
Digital tools play a role in climate adaptation. In central Denmark, flood-prone areas are seeing diverse strategies for increased preparedness.
Building adaptations using extended reality tools allow residents to visualize changes, facilitating planning and support.
Groundwater sensors are being installed as an early flooding indicator, feeding data to a warning app for authorities and residents.
Digital replicas of landscapes help test flood scenarios, guiding decisions before infrastructure investments.
These tools aim to provide communities with time to act and minimize flood damage.
Denmark’s solutions will be applied in regions like Latvia’s Zemgale and Sweden’s Blekinge.
Not all solutions are tech-based. In Extremadura, Pulido focuses on landscape reshaping.
Forest areas, often poorly managed, are vulnerable to fire. Economic incentives for maintenance are lacking.
Pulido’s team collaborates with municipalities to create productive fire breaks, using native plantings for fire risk reduction and supporting grazing or fire-resistant crop cultivation.
If economically viable, land is more likely maintained.
“Any change to the landscape has to make economic sense, otherwise it won’t last,” Pulido said.
Local stakeholders are integral to these measures, ensuring solutions are adopted and last long-term.
“We’re working with mayors, associations, and companies,” Pulido explained. “Involvement increases strategy uptake.”
These nature-based solutions complement technological tools, offering options to handle regional climate risks.
This effort is part of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change to help regions adapt by 2027. Tools developed are expected for broader deployment, with ambitions extending beyond the project’s timeframe.
The aim is for widespread adoption, benefiting millions across Europe, continuing the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.
“We want the tools, strategies, and knowledge we develop to keep helping communities adapt to the challenges brought by climate change,” Balionyte-Merle said.
The project in this article received funding from the EU Mission: Adaptation to Climate Change, which mobilizes research, policy, and citizens to tackle major challenges by 2030. Source link.
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