BIOBASED2UC Project Logo


Start Date: 2025.03.01

Exploring novel bio-based materials and their applications in conservation and restoration with a new interdisciplinary team

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement no. 101186492.


BIOBASED2UC is starting a new research area at the University of Coimbra focused on nanocelluloses – sustainable, high-performance materials made from plants and bacteria. These materials are being developed to help protect and restore old cellulosic objects, especially historic paper documents.

The project has two main goals:

1. Create new bio-based materials - mainly different types of nanocelluloses such as cellulose nanofibrils, cellulose nanocrystals, and bacterial cellulose.

2. Use these materials in practice – developing innovative and eco-friendly methods to preserve and restore paper-based cultural heritage.


To achieve this, an interdisciplinary team will be formed, supported by University researchers and international experts. The aim is to create a permanent research group in this area, ensuring the work continues beyond the project itself.

In addition to developing new products and methods, BIOBASED2UC also wants to:

  • Train researchers and technicians in advanced conservation techniques;
  • Publish high-quality research and attract competitive funding;
  • Raise international visibility by connecting different scientific areas within the European Research Area;
  • Build a Portuguese network of paper conservators working in museums, archives, and libraries, and introduce them to sustainable preservation practices.



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LUC.H2O Project Logo


Start Date: 2020.01.01 - End Date: 2024.11.11

Surface water monitoring for evaluating drivers of land use and land cover change

This project was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (2020.05101.BD).


Human-driven changes in land use are a major source of diffuse pollution, making the sustainable management of land essential for safeguarding water quality. However, research linking land use to water quality often overlooks the potential irreversibility of ecological damage caused by alterations in land cover and use. This is due, in part, to the complex interactions between environmental and human systems.

This project aims to address these challenges by developing a predictive framework for assessing the impacts of land use changes on surface water quality. The approach builds on the Drivers–Pressures–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) model, where surface water monitoring serves as the response mechanism. The project will focus on identifying abiotic indicators of water quality that are sensitive to land use changes, determining how these changes influence water systems, and exploring the moderating role of land cover and use in shaping the relationship between environmental drivers and water quality impacts.

The research is guided by four main hypotheses:

1. Monitoring as indicator identification: Systematic monitoring of surface waters can reveal abiotic indicators — such as turbidity or nutrient concentrations — that signal the presence and intensity of pressures caused by land use and land cover changes.

2. Monitoring as causal assessment: Water quality reflects the surrounding landscape. By correlating land use change with shifts in water indicators over time, it is possible to understand how specific alterations in land cover affect aquatic ecosystems.

3. Monitoring as driver quantification: Analytical and statistical approaches can help identify and quantify the environmental drivers most responsible for changes in water quality, while also clarifying the mediating role of land use and cover in these relationships, including the influence of precipitation patterns.

4. Monitoring as a basis for response: Insights from surface water monitoring can inform evidence-based strategies to mitigate negative impacts, restore ecosystems, and support sustainable land and water management.

Together, these hypotheses position water monitoring as a cornerstone for understanding and predicting the complex interplay between land use change and aquatic systems. The ultimate aim of this project is to deliver a scientifically grounded predictive tool that can support water resource management, land-use planning, environmental impact assessments, and policy-making, thereby contributing to the sustainable management of both land and water resources.


LUC.H2O graphical abstract

Outputs

Sequeira, M.D., Tavares, A.O., Castilho, A. & Dinis, P. (2025). Influência da seca severa em indicadores de águas superficiais. Comunicações Geológicas 112 (Especial 1), 225-228.

Sequeira, M.D., Dinis, P., Castilho, A. & Tavares, A.O. (2025). The influence of rural fires in surface water quality. Comunicações Geológicas 112 (Especial 1), 229-232.

Sequeira, M.D. (2024). Surface water monitoring for evaluation of drivers of land use and occupation change. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Coimbra].

Sequeira, M.D., Tavares, A.O. & Castilo, A. (2023). Influência da seca severa em indicadores de águas superficiais. XI Congresso Nacional de Geologia: Geociências e Desafios Globais. Livro de Resumos, 465-466.

Sequeira, M.D., Dinis, P., Castilho, A. & Tavares, A.O. (2023). The influence of rural fires in surface water quality. XI Congresso Nacional de Geologia: Geociências e Desafios Globais. Livro de Resumos, 463-464.

Sequeira, M.D., Castilho, A., Tavares, A.O. & Dinis, P. (2022). The Rural Fires of 2017 and Their Influences on Water Quality: An Assessment of Causes and Effects. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 32.

Sequeira, M.D., Castilho, A., Dinis, P. & Tavares, A.O. (2022). Impacte dos incêndios florestais na qualidade das águas superficiais: um estudo na Bacia Hidrográfica do Mondego. Livro de resumos XX Simpósio Luso-Brasileiro de Engenharia Sanitária e Ambiental, 903-908.

Risk Aqua SOil Project Logo


Start Date: 2017.05.01 - End Date: 2023.06.30

RiskAquaSoil - Atlantic Risk Management Plan in water and soil

The RiskAquaSoil project was co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the Cooperation Program INTERREG Atlantic Area, with reference EAPA_272/2016


The RiskAquaSoil project seeks to strengthen the resilience of Atlantic rural areas by addressing risks to both soil and water resources in the face of climate change. Through transnational cooperation, the project aims to mitigate the adverse impacts of extreme weather events and shifting climatic patterns, with a particular focus on safeguarding agricultural lands.

The project develops an integrated management plan structured around three key dimensions. First, early warning and diagnosis will be enhanced by testing innovative, low-cost remote sensing techniques to monitor and forecast local meteorological impacts. These efforts will be complemented by climate scenarios, forecasts, and improved information services tailored to farmers. Second, implementation and adaptation will be achieved through pilot actions in agricultural settings, demonstrating practical approaches for more sustainable soil and water management under climate-related risks. Finally, capacity building and dissemination will focus on empowering local communities and farmers through training, knowledge exchange, and strengthened cooperation in risk management and damage compensation systems.

By combining technological innovation, field-based adaptation, and community engagement, RiskAquaSoil provides a comprehensive framework for managing environmental risks in rural Atlantic regions. The project’s outcomes are expected to contribute to more resilient agricultural practices, improved land and water stewardship, and a stronger capacity to adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.


RiskAquaSoil graphical abstract

Outputs

Sequeira, M.D., Castilho, A., Dinis, P. & Tavares, A.O. (2020). Impact Assessment and Geochemical Background Analysis of Surface Water Quality of Catchments Affected by the 2017 Portugal Wildfires. Water, 12(10), 2742.

Sequeira, M.D., Castilho, A., Dinis, P. & Tavares, A.O. (2020). Study of superficial waters quality in a post-wildfire scenario in Portugal Central Region. Comunicações Geológicas, 107, 133-136.

Dinis, P., Sequeira, M.D., Tavares, A.O., Carvalho, J., Castilho, A.M. & Pinto, M.M. (2020). Post-wildfire denudation assessed from compositional features of river sediments (Central Portugal). Applied Clay Science, 193, 105675.

Sequeira, M.D., Castilho, A., Tavares, A.O. & Dinis, P. (2020). Assessment of superficial water quality of small catchment basins affected by portuguese rural fires of 2017. Ecological Indicators, 111, 105961.

Sequeira, M.D., Tavares, A.O., Castilho, A., & Dinis, P. (2019). Monitorização de cursos de água em cenário de pós-incêndio: Lições do projeto Risk AquaSoil. CESContexto, 25, 21–32.

Areia, N.P., Intrigliolo, D., Tavares, A., Mendes, J. M., & Sequeira, M.D. (2019). The role of media between expert and lay knowledge: A study of Iberian media coverage on climate change. Science of The Total Environment, 682, 291-300.

Areia, N. P., Sequeira, M. D., Mendes, J. M. & Tavares, A. O. (2018). Portuguese literacy about climate change - An online media coverage study. 8th ICBR Proceedings.

Dinis, P., Sequeira, M. D., Tavares, A. & Castilho, A. (2018). Monitoring shifts in sediment composition following the Central Portugal wildfires of 2017. Proceedings of the IX Symposium on the Iberian Atlantic Margin, 149-150.

Sequeira, M. D., Castilho, A., Dinis, P., Tavares, A. O. (2018). Study of superficial waters quality in a post-wildfire scenario in Portugal Central Region. Vulcânica (2), 419-420.