Severe Weather and Derecho Recovery Fund

Greater Houston Disaster Alliance (GHDA) Funding is sponsored by Greater Houston Disaster Alliance (United Way of Greater Houston and Greater Houston Community Foundation). The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance (GHDA) is a philanthropic partnership that mobilizes and coordinates funding to support nonprofit organizations providing disaster-related services in the Greater Houston region (Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties).

Joint demonstration of solutions to build soil resilience to extreme weather events and support food security is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Activities under this topic will support the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food , the EU Soil Strategy for 2030 , including the implementation of the EU Soil Monitoring and Resilience Directive, the EU Adaptation Strategy, the EU Water Resilience Strategy, and the forthcoming European Climate Adaptation Plan. Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes: enhanced monitoring of soils at subnational level (e.g. regions and municipalities) leading to an overall improved soil resilience against extreme weather events, particularly in terms of soils’ capacity to withstand and recover from floods, droughts, heatwaves and broader temperature fluctuations; tailored soil management practices and solutions that improve soil health are adopted, promoting sustainable land management, enhancing food system resilience, including food security [1] , and strengthening the overall resilience of agricultural systems to current and future climate extreme events. Scope: Developing and scaling practical solutions to enhance soils’ resilience to extreme weather events is crucial for climate change adaptation. As extreme weather events like droughts, heavy rainfall and flooding, heatwaves and other temperature anomalies (e.g. unseasonal frosts) become more frequent, widespread and severe, they pose significant threats to soil health, agricultural productivity, and food security at large. This is due to, inter alia , soil erosion, nutrient leaching, increased salinisation, loss of soil organic carbon, reduction or loss of microbial activity, waterlogging and oxygen depletion, depending on the type of extreme weather event considered. Strengthening soils’ resilience at farm and landscape levels, considering also the context, e.g., in terms of governance (rules and institutions), is vital to cope with these challenges. Creating a framework that suits different pedoclimatic conditions and regions should help ensure that the best approaches are put in place to maintain food security and promote sustainable farming practices, and that overall landscape resilience to these events is enhanced. Proposals should address all of the following aspects: develop, test and demonstrate a range of solutions, including agroecology and nature-based solutions, that improve soils’ resilience to extreme weather events, while applying a systems-thinking approach and addressing interactions across farm, landscape, and governance levels. Describe how such solutions would support food security [1] , for example by preserving soil productivity and reducing yield volatility caused by extreme weather events, thereby ensuring more stable, affordable, safe and nutritious food supply; develop and deploy an integrated transdisciplinary framework to facilitate replication and scale-up of the above solutions. Enhanced involvement of relevant public authorities and stakeholders (including to integrate local knowledge) at different management levels, from farm to landscape levels, and exploring innovative and scalable business models that support resilience of food systems and food security also in the long term; develop a replicable methodology to assess the impact of extreme weather conditions on soil ecosystem services, including water retention and quality, across different regions. The framework should be designed with, and for the uptake of local authorities, stakeholders, and land managers to assess and manage the impacts on soil services in the area; disseminate good practices to key stakeholders and practitioners to support informed decision-making and adaptive land management. Demonstration sites and related activities The Soil and Adaptation Missions encourage collaborations between regional and local authorities facing similar challenges and considers this to be a very efficient approach to secure a large impact. Therefore, the demonstration activities of the proposals: must take place in the territory of at least 3 diff Programme areas: Climate, Energy and Mobility, Health, Culture, creativity and inclusive society, Digital, Industry and Space, Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment, Civil Security for Society, Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Horizon Europe (HORIZON) Keywords: Agriculture, Climate change adaptation, Climatology and climate change, Ecosystem services provided by soils, Science, environment, weather, Soil conservation, Soil ecology, Soil erosion, Soil functions, Soil improvement, Soil management, Soil physics, Soil protection, Climate change, Extreme weather events, Food security, Integrated sciences, Multi actor approach, Soil health, Soil resilience, Soils, Sustainable land management