VOLANTE provides an interdisciplinary scientific basis to inform land use and natural resource management policies and decision-making. It is achieving this by advancing knowledge in land system science and using this knowledge to develop a ROADMAP FOR FUTURE LAND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN EUROPE.

VOLANTE is designing new methodologies and integrated models to analyse human environment interactions, feedbacks in land use systems, hotspots of land use transitions and identify critical thresholds in land system dynamics.

The Roadmap will bring together this science-base with key players in research, policy, business and NGOs, and will be a significant European Science Policy Briefing for the years to come in the promotion of multifunctional and sustainable pathways of land system change.

VOLANTE unites researchers with experience and expertise in land use processes and modelling at multiple spatial and temporal scales from different scientific disciplines. Close interaction is being established with relevant decision makers at regional and European level, to enhance the evidence-based and problem oriented science-policy interface. A structured approach has been developed to incorporate the views of a broad set of stakeholders at all stages of the project to inform land use planning and natural resource management policies and decision-making, setting dynamic targets for ecosystem and resource management.

The VOLANTE team tackles three major research questions:

1.  What are the socio-economic and ecological processes that shape land use transitions in Europe?

2. How can bottom-up and top-down modelling tools be improved and used in a comprehensive way to assess critical thresholds for resource management with reference to land use change and ecosystem services?

3.  Which innovative visions can be formulated for future sustainable resource management and land use policy development under a range of environmental and management conditions across Europe?