Anticipating the impacts of drought is one of the major challenges facing the protection of Mediterranean ecosystems. Having accurate information on how environmental conditions are evolving makes it possible to detect risks earlier and support more effective decisions for territorial and environmental management.
In this context, the Spanish pilot of Germ of Life, located at the Forest Fire Defence Centre (CEDEFO) in Alcala de los Gazules (Cadiz), plays an important role within the project’s network of validation sites. The centre is part of the Andalusian Government’s forest fire prevention and response network, with the Regional Government of Andalusia participating in the project through the Andalusian Environment and Water Agency, one of the project partners.
Through this pilot, Germ of Life analyses how Mediterranean ecosystems respond to water stress and tests the tools developed by the project to improve the assessment and management of drought-related risks. The information collected helps identify early signs of vulnerability in vegetation and provides a better understanding of how ecosystems evolve under increasingly demanding climate conditions.
Data gathered on site are combined with information from Earth Observation systems and integrated into the digital platform developed by Germ of Life. The aim is to transform these data into useful knowledge that supports decision-making by public authorities, environmental managers and other stakeholders involved in the protection of natural resources.
The facility in Alcala de los Gazules is part of a network of four pilot sites developed by Germ of Life in Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal. Together, these sites enable the project’s solutions to be validated in different environmental contexts and generate knowledge that can be applied across other Mediterranean territories.
In this way, the Spanish pilot contributes to one of Germ of Life’s main objectives: helping territories better anticipate the effects of drought and strengthen their resilience in the face of climate change challenges.
