The BeeConnected SUDOE project will contribute to the conservation of wild bee biodiversity in South-West Europe (SUDOE area) through the creation and restoration of green infrastructure in agricultural and peri-urban environments. The project aims to improve connectivity between fragmented areas of high nature value in a sustainable and resilient way , in line with the principles of the European Green Deal.
To achieve such an ambitious goal, specific ecological habitat restoration actions will be carried out in four pilot areas of the project until 2028, to promote the conservation of bees in agricultural and peri-urban environments.
In each pilot area in Spain, France and Portugal, habitat improvement measures identified as priorities for wild bees will be applied, according to the main specific problems of each area. Actions will be taken to recover degraded habitats, accompanied by the planting of melliferous plants as a food resource , or changes in vegetation management practices to optimize the availability of floral resources for bees. In addition, structures will be installed to facilitate nesting and water supply points will be created or restored, in territories where these elements are scarce.
In the case of CREAF, our objective is to manage the greenways of Girona - those for pedestrians and cyclists -, not only to improve the habitat of the wild bee communities in the area, but also to check if they can be made to function as connectors between different natural areas.
"In the case of CREAF, our objective is to manage the greenways of Girona - those for pedestrians and cyclists -, not only to improve the habitat of the wild bee communities in the area, but also to check if they can be made to function as connectors between different natural areas," highlights Anselm Rodrigo, professor at the UAB.
"Hotels for bees" with reeds of different sizes for them to nest in. Author: Galdric Mossoll.
Challenges until 2028
South-west Europe has a large protected area included in the Natura 2000 Network, so the conservation of this natural heritage is a priority. However, the natural spaces in the Network are generally poorly connected, as they are separated by intensive agricultural areas or urban and peri-urban areas, a problem common to this entire region that puts the effectiveness of the Network at risk, with particularly negative consequences for wild pollinators.
BeeConnected SUDOE is a great opportunity to address these challenges through four pilot cases in rural and peri-urban contexts that represent the main scenarios of territorial fragmentation, designing and implementing actions to support the biodiversity of wild pollinators in the region of Europe with the largest number of species that is exposed to various risks derived from biodiversity fragmentation.
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Key performances in South-Eastern Europe
The project will enhance and enhance the natural heritage of South-West Europe by designing and implementing strategies adapted to the main territorial challenges of the SUDOE area. It is a peripheral territory particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. The project objectives will increase the resilience of habitats favourable to wild bees.
In addition, the pilot cases will contribute to strengthening urban-rural relations and will be reference examples for implementing nature-based solution strategies in rural and peri-urban environments, allowing the development of the strengths and capacities of key social actors that promote their own resources related to bee biodiversity.
Finally, improving the territorial connectivity of habitats favorable for wild bees will involve the application of good practices that allow collaboration between different types of territories.
BeeConnected SUDOE*
The Bee Connected project, which starts in 2025 and will end in 2028, has Interreg SUDOE funds from the European Union that include Spain, France and Portugal. Coordinated by the Autonomous University of Madrid, it has the participation of the University of Bordeaux (France), the University of Coimbra (Portugal), and CREAF in the scientific part. SEO/BirdLife will be in charge of the awareness-raising actions, while the Junta de Comunitats de Castilla-La Mancha, the Municipal Chamber of Coimbra and the Provincial Council of Girona will develop actions in the territory.
The total budget of the project is €1,373,723.11, of which €1,030,292.33 corresponds to co-financing from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
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