Douro will tend to move vineyards to higher ground due to climate change

Climate change will affect the Douro, which will tend to move vineyards to higher areas and rely on more resilient vineyards due to lack of water and rising temperatures, according to the intercommunal plan presented Thursday. ] The Inter-Communal Action Plan for Climate Change in the Douro (PAIAC Douro) was presented in Tabuaço, Viseu District, to help increase resilience and risk mitigation in this territory of the Community Intermunicipal Douro (CIM Douro), joined 19 municipalities

There are already changes in the climate. Last year was marked by extreme drought, and this year, the off-season rains of June and July create conditions conducive to the spread of diseases affecting the vineyard.

Climate forecasts indicate a decrease in average annual precipitation in the regions. end of the 21st century in the southern countries of Europe, for more frequent and intense droughts, for heatwaves and the increase of extreme events, including very intense rainfall and, therefore, more d & rsquo; # 39; flood episodes

. the future impacts of climate change will tend to affect the entire Douro, highlighting the damage to economic activities, such as agriculture, rising costs of production of goods and services and rising insurance costs
Therefore, agriculture, especially viticulture, which is the main economic activity of the region, is highlighted in this plan of action, which also concerns other important sectors such as

In the field of viticulture, it is expected that climate change, due to rising temperatures and more intense and frequent droughts, will result in a decrease of production, the emergence of new diseases and increased risks associated with climatic accidents associated with the frequency and intensity of heat waves, such as scalding gravel.

One of the measures provided in the PAIAC is the preparation of a plan of action for climate change.
According to the plan of action already planned, the main adaptation measures are moving vineyards to higher latitudes, ie to higher and cooler areas , which can transform part of the current. a landscape classified by UNESCO

The Douro will also have to focus on the selection of plant materials more suited to thermal and water stress, and on the change of practice cultural and management systems, in order to optimize and reduce water consumption through cultivation and thereby increase the efficiency of water use.

The plan also indicates the diversification of production to take advantage of the anticipation of phenology (table grapes or raisins), the installation of grafts more resistant to water scarcity, the adequacy of poor irrigation strategies in the vineyards, and better control of pests and diseases.

For the cultivation of the olive, a production also important for the Douro, anticipates the beginning of the vegetative cycle and also the production losses, so that changes in cultural practices such as irrigation Fertilization and phytosanitary control can help mitigate the effects of climate change [19659002] Impacts may also be felt at the level of tourism in the region, as they will likely result in some changes, such as loss of biodiversity or degradation of the environment. landscape.

Despite negative impacts, the plan also identifies opportunities that lead to the development of new or complementary actions reducing climate sensitivity and exposure in the region, under conditions that may change or change the climate. Practices

The PAIAC intends that the region is "aware of the potential impacts of climate change" and "able to transform its challenges into development opportunities" social, economic and environmental aspects of the Douro. "