About Trees4Water
Forests, encompassing tree-based solutions such as river filter strips, are widely recognized for their capacity to enhance human well-being and serve as a nature-based approach to address the indisputable ramifications of climate and environmental changes.
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The advantages associated with forests span a range of areas, including the extraction of wild food and wood, safeguarding against soil erosion, regulation of air quality, and provision of recreational opportunities. Furthermore, forests contribute to the enhancement of water quality through two main mechanisms: firstly, the conversion of agricultural land into forested areas prevents diffuse pollution, and secondly, forests act as natural filter strips, effectively absorbing nutrients and sediments.
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The diverse array of benefits derived from forests holds significant socio-economic value for society, even if this value is not readily quantifiable in monetary terms, commonly referred to as non-market benefits.
Trees4Water aims to evaluate the environmental effectiveness of the forestation scenarios (increase forest area and riparian forests), to improve the quality of the water (sediments, nitrates and phosphorus) by employing a comprehensive approach. This approach combines hydrological modeling by co-designing forestation scenarios (Task 1), and conducting cost-benefit analyses of these forest operations (Task 2) within two river basins located in northern Portugal: the Cávado and the Sabor.
The overarching aim of Trees4Water is to develop a methodological framework that integrates natural and socio-economic sciences. This framework encompasses not only the evaluation of forests' biophysical functions in water quality improvement through modeling and landscape scenario management, but also the assessment of the social and economic costs and benefits associated with these management options. By the end, it is intended to create a collaborative investment model where water quality problems are evident.
Trees4Water (2022.06375.PTDC), is a 18 months research project running from February 2023 to July 2024, financed by FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal) through national founds. It is coordinated by the Centre for Molecular and Environmental Biology (CBMA), University of Minho, and has as partners the Centre for Ocean and Society, University of Kiel, Germany; the Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro and the water supply company “Águas do Norte, S.A”.
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Tree-based Solutions
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Hydrological modelling
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Quality of Water
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Cost-benefit Analysis
