viseu

Principal Researcher:
Isabel Paula Lopes Brás
Duration: 2021 – 2023

Cised team members
Elisabete Silva
Sérgio Lopes
Paulo Pinho
Filipe Caldeira
Edmundo Marques
José Vicente Ferreira

In the current scenario of climate change and an ageing population in rural areas, forest fires have increasingly caused economic, environmental and social impacts in these areas. The solution that has the best acceptance, is the correct management of forest fuels, including its energy and material use. On the other hand, the reports produced annually reflect the great relevance of fire use practices for the destruction of exceeding materials that cause rural fires. There are some ongoing scientific projects that provide for the decentralized valorization of agroforestry biomass produced within communities, but there is a great lack of information about its characteristics, both qualitatively and quantitatively (variation of the type and volume deposited throughout the year). In this way and to computerize the whole process, it is proposed the introduction of digital technology, namely with the use of IoT sensors and applications for the web. Through data collection, processing and analysis, it will be possible to measure several variables, generate reports and later optimize processes.

In the municipality of Viseu there is a network of forest ecopoints that allow residents to deposit agroforestry waste, avoiding the need to burn them and potentially cause fires. Due to their character of innovation, interest and utility, these structures have opened several lines of scientific research with a view to the design of second generation forest ecopoints that can be disseminated throughout the Portuguese territory.
Thus, the BioValor project has as activities: (1) the physical-chemical characterization of biomass that is deposited throughout the year in the forest ecopoint targeted for study and the creation of a network of IoT sensors for data collection and development of digital communication platforms between the entities involved; (2) the assessment of the potential for the recovery of the material of this biomass in composting and mulching processes, both using digital monitoring for control and monitoring, complementary to analytical control; (3) the analysis of the possibilities of energy recovery with local use; (4) the life cycle evaluation of the options under study, accounting for the different regional inputs; and (5) the definition of good practices for the design and operation of forest ecopoints with a view to optimizing their operation and mitigating the risk of forest fire.

It is considered that this project, in addition to improve the design of forest ecopoints, using digital thecnhologies (such as: drone for recording images and video, communication platforms and network of sensors monitoring operating conditions), will promote their reproduction by other Portuguese municipalities and other countries. Thus, it is important that there is an effort in the dissemination of its results and an association with key entities in this process, such as the Municipality of Viseu, the Parish Councils, the Biomass Center for Energy, the Biomass Center, among others.

It is expected that the BioValor project will contribute decisively, not only to solving the challenges posed by rural fires, but also to the valorization of rural areas, creating wealth and jobs. Fundamentally, that its results are an important contribution to the definition of public policies.