Vocational training for Invasive species: Geotechnicians as ambassadors for environmental protection Erasmus Project

Project Title

Vocational training for Invasive species: Geotechnicians as ambassadors for environmental protection

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Agriculture, forestry and fisheries; Cooperation between educational institutions and business; Environment and climate change

Project Summary

The impact of the establishment of invasive alien species on ecosystems concerns all stakeholders involved in policy-making at international, European and national level. In the Global Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, Aichi’s ninth goal states that by 2020, invasive alien species and the following corridors and priority species should have been identified and prioritized. The European Union puts the issue of invasive alien species very high on its agricultural and environmental policy agenda. Specific Objective 5 of the European Biodiversity Strategy for 2020 concerns the “Combat Invasive Alien Species” and through Actions 15 and 16 seek to strengthen the EU plant and animal health regimes and to adopt specific legislation on invasive species. Specific reference is made to Regulation 1143/2014 on invasive alien species, which seeks to address the problems arising from these species in an ecosystem with an integrated approach to protect the inherent biodiversity and ecosystem functions as well as to minimize or mitigate the negative impacts on human health and the economy. In the National Strategy for Biodiversity of Greece, all of the above have been incorporated into General Objective 8 “Protection of biodiversity from invasive / invasive alien species”.
The general objective of the proposed Project is to inform and raise the awareness of all stakeholders involved in rural development of intervention areas on the impacts of invasive Alien Species on local ecosystems, human health and the economy. The target group consists of Agronomists, Foresters, Veterinarians and other relevant scientists working either in the public or private sector or in Universities and research institutes. The final beneficiaries will be all people, who work in the primary sector such as farmers, animal breeders, fishermen etc.
The expected results of the Project are the following:
– Description of the current situation in the EU and in each one of the three participating countries concerning the Invasive Alien Species and their impacts on the local eco-systems with best practices from all over the EU.
– Study visits in order to exchange knowledge, experiences and best practices.
– Creation of educational material that will be used for the seminars for the professionals (Agricultural Engineers and Agronomists, Foresters, Veterinarians). This educational material will be available for use after the completion of the Project as well.
– Seminars for the professionals about the impacts of the Invasive Alien Species in the local eco-systems and the effects in the productivity of the agricultural holdings.
– Information and awareness raising workshops for farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen and all people involved in the primary sector.
– Dissemination activities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 35000 Eur

Project Coordinator

Agronomists’ Association of Kavala & Country: EL

Project Partners

• Associazione Istituto Ecoambientale
• MERSIN UNIVERSITESI