Why?
4 territories
1 million species
3 species
275 football pitches
60%
40%
$125 to $140 billion a year
$4 to 20 billion per year
$6 to 11 billion per year
The Global Crisis and Need for Action
The Urgency of Now
The time to act is now, in the face of the accelerating crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as their consequences, resulting from human activity.
The Basis of Life
It is well known that biological diversity forms the basis for the functioning of ecosystems and for life itself on our planet. The destruction of habitats and the resulting loss of biodiversity represent a global problem, with serious local implications, which requires urgent action.
Ecosystem Services and Risk Reduction
A Buffer Against Climate change
Biodiversity acts as an important buffer against climate change, a fact that is often forgotten or ignored, both in political decisions and in our everyday actions.
Safeguarding the Future Protecting
biodiversity means ensuring the functioning of ecosystems and safeguarding the future of the planet. It also means reducing the risks associated with extreme events, such as heatwaves, floods, prolonged droughts, forest fires or even pandemics.
Life Support Processes Biodiversity
underpins the processes essential to life: oxygen, fresh water, fertile soil, food, etc. Ecosystem services — such as the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, as well as our health and well-being — depend directly on biodiversity.
Specific Educational Objectives
Knowledge
Increasing adults’ knowledge of local biodiversity (landscape units, habitats, and animal and plant species) and its relevance to quality of life.
Participation
Promoting adults participation in educational and scientific activities in protected areas, including Natura 2000 and UNESCO sites.
Content Development
Developing educational content and pilot initiatives aimed at local communities.
Best Practices
Providing transferable best practices that contribute to the social and economic enhancement of biodiversity.
Strategic and Policy Alignment
Driving Public Support
Valuing the ecosystem services that contribute to human well-being can be a powerful driver for raising awareness of biodiversity issues, promoting greater understanding and mobilising public support for nature conservation strategies.
EU Strategy Integration
BioUP is part of the European Union’s strategies for the future of Europe, notably the European Green Deal and the Biodiversity Strategy to 2030. It is also aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.
The Global Crisis and Need for Action
The Urgency of Now
The time to act is now, in the face of the accelerating crisis of climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as their consequences, resulting from human activity.
The Basis of Life
It is well known that biological diversity forms the basis for the functioning of ecosystems and for life itself on our planet. The destruction of habitats and the resulting loss of biodiversity represent a global problem, with serious local implications, which requires urgent action.
The BioUP Project Implementation
Empowering Local Communities
The aim of the project is to promote, through the involvement of organisations with deep roots in the local areas, the training and empowerment of local communities to protect and enhance biodiversity.
Agents of Change
This dialogue with local communities, particularly in the rural areas covered by the project, is increasingly necessary and requires creative and innovative strategies that encourage their active participation, transforming them into true agents of change, under the principle of ‘think globally, act locally’.
Collaborative Territory Goals
By integrating science, economics, communication and education, BioUP aims to contribute to this transformation through cooperation between four territories that are home to rich but vulnerable ecosystems, located in Portugal, Italy, Spain and Latvia.