OETERRA
2026 - 2028
OETERRA
The “OETERRA – Douro Ecological Observatory’s Smart Strategy for Green Infrastructure and Ecosystem Restoration” project is the first cross-border initiative of the Douro Ecological Observatory (OET), establishing it as a key tool for ecological restoration, the promotion of territorial connectivity and the integration of the cultural landscape within the cross-border ecological corridor of the Douro River, in Portugal and Spain.
Through participatory governance, nature-based solutions and innovative technologies, this project aims to address the current environmental and socio-economic challenges facing the cross-border region, in line with European strategies for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation.
It is a project funded by the European Union’s Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) Programme 2021–2027, to be implemented between 2026 and 2028 by a consortium led by the Santa María la Real Foundation in Spain, comprising various Spanish and Portuguese organisations and bodies, including Palombar – Conservation of Nature and Rural Heritage.
The main objectives of the project are:
The project’s area of intervention is the cross-border Douro River corridor, covering regions in northern Portugal – namely Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro – and the Spanish autonomous community of Castile and León.
The project’s main results will be made available on freely accessible online platforms, ensuring the model can be replicated in other European cross-border territories.
Coordination Santa María la Real Foundation (Spain)
Partners Palombar – Conservation of Nature and Rural Heritage, CIMTTM – Inter-municipal Community of the Terras de Trás-os-Montes, University of Salamanca, University of Valladolid, AECT-ZASNET – European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, Federation of Forestry Associations of Castile and León, and Zamora City Council
Intervention area Northern Portugal and the Spanish autonomous community of Castile and León
Funding European Union’s Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2021–2027
Through participatory governance, nature-based solutions and innovative technologies, this project aims to address the current environmental and socio-economic challenges facing the cross-border region, in line with European strategies for climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation.
It is a project funded by the European Union’s Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal (POCTEP) Programme 2021–2027, to be implemented between 2026 and 2028 by a consortium led by the Santa María la Real Foundation in Spain, comprising various Spanish and Portuguese organisations and bodies, including Palombar – Conservation of Nature and Rural Heritage.
The main objectives of the project are:
- To establish a Cultural Landscape Monitoring Network and a network of monitoring stations to assess changes in the landscape;
- To promote the monitoring stations and connectivity through the restoration of degraded habitats in natural and urban areas;
- To develop a Cross-Border Biosphere Reserve Strategy, integrated into the OET strategy, with specific plans for restoration, governance and enhancement of the cultural landscape;
- Promote education and awareness-raising through the creation of an educational programme on natural and cultural values, including citizen science, workshops and a network of environmental educators associated with the OET;
- Harness technological innovation through the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and environmental data analysis to optimise the planning of monitoring stations and define investment priorities for ecological restoration.
The project’s area of intervention is the cross-border Douro River corridor, covering regions in northern Portugal – namely Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro – and the Spanish autonomous community of Castile and León.
The project’s main results will be made available on freely accessible online platforms, ensuring the model can be replicated in other European cross-border territories.
Coordination Santa María la Real Foundation (Spain)
Partners Palombar – Conservation of Nature and Rural Heritage, CIMTTM – Inter-municipal Community of the Terras de Trás-os-Montes, University of Salamanca, University of Valladolid, AECT-ZASNET – European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation, Federation of Forestry Associations of Castile and León, and Zamora City Council
Intervention area Northern Portugal and the Spanish autonomous community of Castile and León
Funding European Union’s Interreg VI-A Spain-Portugal Programme (POCTEP) 2021–2027