After-LIFE Communication Plan EcoQuarry

Transcription

1 After-LIFE Communication Plan EcoQuarry The project: objectives The objectives of EcoQuarry project (Ecotechnology for Environmental Restoration of Limestone Quarries) are the definition of an environmental quality system for quarry restoration, and the establishment of limestone quarry restoration guidelines for Mediterranean conditions, using the best available technologies. level of innovation of technology and methodology EcoQuarry made use of the outputs of research and development activities carried out during the last 20 years by the consortium, including scientific experiments, the practical experience of technical staff of mining companies and of environmental administration. The project has developed control quality schemes for the various restoration phases with the perspective of recovering functional ecosystems, integrated in the surrounding landscape. Restoration ecology principles have been adopted for designing the minimum and necessary restoration actions to trigger natural succession in the middle term. In this framework, the project has promoted and demonstrated the use of local

2 materials for substrates, native species, minimum inputs (especially watering) in the perspective of cost-effectiveness. The elaboration of the booklet Guidelines for limestone quarry restoration in Mediterranean climate will provide practical assessment in limestone quarry restoration to the enterprises and technical staff in the cement and aggregate sectors. The direct participation of end users in the pilot restoration projects has ensured a direct transfer of results. The participation of quarry associations and of environmental administration has facilitated the dissemination of EcoQuarry results to the mining sector. Environmental, social and economic results The project directly produced improved technologies for the reclamation of the extremely degraded quarry sites. These result in more effective and efficient technical options. The development of recommendations for the use of local materials for soillike substrate, native species for biodiversity enhancement, organic residues recycling, and carbon sequestration are major environmental results of the project. The project has contributed to significantly increase the awareness of quality control relevance in restoration projects for the limestone quarry sector. The improvement of restoration technologies benefits the social perception of mining activities, and provide economic opportunities for the companies related to restoration, e.g. forest nurseries, forest engineering companies, landscapers and environmentalists. long-term benefits and sustainability of outcomes The main output of EcoQuarry is providing demonstrated protocols for long-term limestone quarry restoration for the ecological and landscape integration of the exploited site. The strategy consists in introducing the minimum inputs required for starting succession, and applying adaptive management approaches during the guarantee period (2-5 years) in order to ensure a long-term natural recovery of the ecosystems and landscape. This approach avoids eventual successive interventions along time and gardening approaches with permanent investments (irrigation, fertilisation, new plantations, elimination of undesired species, and so on). Therefore, it reduces maintenance costs.

3 Demonstration value transferability possibilities for replication EcoQuarry consisted in a series of pilot-demonstration projects in a set of representative limestone quarries in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). The mining companies conducted the projects under the supervision of the scientific partners, and often with the contracting of external specialised companies. Therefore, the involved technical staff directly participated in the development of the experiences, so ensuring the direct transfer of innovations to end users. Transfer and dissemination to other stakeholders has been promoted through the cement and aggregate associations. The project outputs are directly applicable to limestone quarries in Mediterranean conditions. This applies to all Mediterranean Basin countries, and to other countries with Mediterranean climate (California, S. Australia, Chile, S. Africa). In addition, the quality control strategy is applicable to any quarry restoration activity, no matter the geographic location, mineral resource, or climate. Relevance to environmental policy and legislation The project has produced guidelines for sustainable quarry restoration and quality control of the restoration process. This constitutes a pre-competitive product that provides the scientific and technical basis for regulation development at the various relevant scales, from regional to European. The Communication strategy

4 evaluate de main target groups o limestone quarry companies, mainly on the cement and aggregate activities. o cement and aggregate associations o national, regional and local environmental administrations responsible of open cast mining activities. o municipalities including limestone quarries, including their inhabitants. o restoration enterprises, e.g. forest nurseries, forest and agronomic engineering, landscapers. provide an overview of past dissemination activities / products and their results In the past, quarry restoration was conducted in a low technological level. Basically, restoration was conducted importing civil works rehabilitation approaches, especially hydroseeding for greening the degraded sites, and eventual plantation using pines. Therefore, dissemination was very limited in the sector. provide a list of present dissemination activities / products and their results The main dissemination tools and activities conducted along the project duration have been: edition of a leaflet and a project poster, web page (www2.ub.edu/ecoquarry), local press articles and TV interviews, bulletin and web page of aggregate association, edition of an educational comic, video clip, guided technical field visits, project presentation in affected municipalities, specialised course for quarry managers, scientific and technical publications, and the publication of technical guidelines for limestone quarry restoration in Spanish and Catalan.

5 provide a list of possible additional dissemination activities /products International Advanced Course for Limestone Quarry Restoration Using ecological restoration principles to promote long-term, sustainable ecological and landscape integration of quarry sites. - International advanced course on Limestone quarry restoration. A week intensive course for post-graduate technical staff directly involved in quarry restoration. 25 students. This course would disseminate the results of the project to a large audience, including countries all over the Mediterranean basin and other Mediterranean-climate regions of the world. Te course could be organised through the CIHEAM-IAMZ (Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéenes Institut Agronomique Méditerranéene de Zaragoza, Spain), a largely experienced institute in scientific cooperation along the Mediterranean. The beneficiary would provide the core lecturers and the field infrastructure and documentation for the practical teaching. CIHEAM- IAMZ would facilitate the course organisation through their contacts in the Mediterranean countries and translation facilities. The course would offer grants for students coming from developing countries. The total cost would be some 80,000, 20% of which would be covered by the beneficiary and associates, and 80% would require EC support.

6