Joint demonstration of solutions to build soil resilience to extreme weather events and support food security 

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