The Apulia region of Italy, impacted by the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (CoDiRO) pandemic, has seen the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa affecting an area of approximately 715,000 hectares—nearly 36% of Apulia—which includes about 21 million olive trees. Resulting in vast stretches of dying trees throughout the region.

Rising temperatures due to climate change, combined with the temperature rise caused by vegetation loss, are creating significant challenges, with temperatures reaching 40°C for extended periods and peaking at 45°C.

Next to trying to circumvent the pandemic, the question is: what happens to those vast expanses of land, and how is the entire ecosystem being transformed and affected?

Many lands have been converted into intensive olive farms that require a significant amount of water, unlike native olive trees, which thrive in dry conditions. Some areas now feature solar panel gardens, which generate green energy but don’t support the ecosystem due to a lack of vegetation.

This case study aims to promote and disseminate knowledge and tools on biodiversity for climate adaptation and reforestation while also addressing water scarcity and health hazards. By raising awareness, the emphasis is on developing local solutions and collaborating with the community to create integrated approaches for implementation.

Our body and mind send us signals that we often perceive as stress. These might be external pressures, such as a deadline or a difficult conversation, or internal factors, like misaligned values, unmet needs, or a desire for change.

When recognised and managed, these signals can also be beneficial as a built-in alert system that activates us.
Cortisol and adrenaline prepare the body for a "fight or flight" response by increasing heart rate and alertness. While this evolved as an immediate response to physical dangers, in our world, these activations can become complex, long-term and chronic.
Sustained activation can cause burnout, anxiety, and physical illness. Many of us lack the privilege to remove these stressors from our lives. Yet, we can learn how to recognise, manage, and transform them into something beneficial.

Traditional systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), or Traditional Mediterranean and European Medicine, offer nuanced frameworks for understanding the way our body constitutions may be prone to particular triggers or pacified and activated by specific diet, routines and activities, emphasising the interplay between supporting the balance of bodily constitutions (e.g., doshas, humors, etc.) and emotional and cognitive health. In fact, for some individuals, stress can arise from feeling trapped in a situation without a clear way forward. For others, it may stem from persistent impatience and immediate reactions of anger and frustration.

A specific diet, herbal remedies, and routines can help alleviate and manage these conditions, allowing us to perceive them as healthy activators rather than letting them become chronic.

This case study aims to combine and distil knowledge from diverse traditions to develop tools that examine how stressors in our contemporary world can be understood, mitigated, and transformed in relation to our metabolic bodies and unique constitutions.

Water scarcity is now affecting areas beyond those typically associated with dry or warming climates. Reduced rainfall worsens the situation, and infrastructure issues also play a significant role.

This scarcity affects multiple species and the entire ecosystem, contributing to environmental degradation and social inequality. The effects can vary widely, ranging from complete inaccessibility to water to shortages where people must ration their usage or self-ration because water has become too expensive. Affecting water for drinking, household use, gardening, and agricultural purposes.

The focus of this case study is to rediscover traditional water management practices, such as rainwater harvesting techniques, alternative purification methods, and sustainable allocation systems. Recall or redesign some of these solutions to create accessible knowledge toolkits.