Participatory planning for ecological restoration of a highly anthropised semi-arid landscape

Ecological restoration has enormous potential to protect biodiversity, increase the supply of ecosystem services, and improve human well-being. To fully develop this potential, it is necessary to design operational procedures that allow the identification of priority actions and areas for restoration. These procedures must also harmonize the multiple prioritization criteria and the multiple expectations about their results. In this study we have designed and applied a system for identifying high priority areas for the restoration of a highly anthropized semi-arid landscape in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Our approach combines two aspects: (1) the priority criteria identified and weighted by a stakeholder platform, and (2) the effectiveness of the restoration, measured as a potential increase in the supply of services. Stakeholders identified and weighted 33 prioritization criteria and 24 ecosystem services. In both cases, natural processes occupied the first places of the weighting. 0.041% of the total area of the territory obtained a high priority of criteria and a high effectiveness in restoration. Our study shows that both approaches can contribute, in a complementary way, to improve the quality of decisions and facilitate consensus between the parties. Our methodology is flexible and can be replicated in other landscapes, even outside the scope of the study.