PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Slovenia’s river systems are failing, due in part to numerous complicated regulations, increasing water extraction, the urbanisation of floodplains, and agricultural expansion in catchment areas. The resulting loss of biodiversity and reduction in essential ecosystem services have been exacerbated by increasingly frequent extreme climate events including droughts and floods.
Checks on the fitness of Slovenia’s River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) have revealed several persistent issues, leading to calls for a change in the way rivers are managed in the country. These checks show: poor integration of RBMP and Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs); inadequate progress in reducing the significant hydro-morphological pressures; neglect of natural water retention measures; and ineffective adaptation measures to deal with climate change.
In addition, there are a number of other challenges to collaborative river stewardship in Slovenia. These include: poor cooperation between scientists and experts from different disciplines (especially between engineering, conservation and ecology); gaps in knowledge due to limited communication among researchers, policy makers and experts; a lack of expert social scientists, ecologists and spatial planners; limited expert participation in national water management planning processes; and a traditionally exclusive approach has alienated citizens from rivers and left them unable to recognise their benefits.
OBJECTIVES
The LIFE2RIVERS project aims to transform the perception and management of Slovenia's rivers, shifting from the current top-down, controlling approach to a co-creative river stewardship. The project team will raise awareness, build capacity and encourage all those involved to adopt a co-creative approach to river stewardship, in order to overcome the main barriers to better river management.
Specifically, the project aims to:
- bring together scientists from different disciplines to study, work, share knowledge and cooperate to counter traditional misconception of rivers as purely physical structures
- build capacity and expertise in planning and implementing nature-based solutions (NbS) and river restoration measures
- set up communication channels between academia, decision makers, governmental officials and practitioners to ensure examples of NbS and river restoration are widely shared
- build the capacity of public officials and life scientists to participate in water governance processes
- enhance participation by academia, industry, government and citizens in a co-creative river stewardship model through raised awareness, understanding of and trust in NbS and river restoration
- establish a pilot demonstration for co-creative river planning and restoration in the Pšata river catchment area
The project approach is in line with Slovenia’s 2nd RBMP, which prioritises green infrastructure and natural water retention measures for river restoration. It also supports the EU Water Framework Directive, the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, the Nature Restoration Law and the Climate Adaptation Strategy.
RESULTS
The expected results of the LIFE2Rivers project are:
- implementing a pilot of a co-creative process for the introduction of NbS in the Pšata catchment area
- elaborating a river restoration plan for the catchment area and for improving its ecological status
- setting up of a Chamber of Ecologists to serve as an independent governance support organisation
- setting of professional and ethical standards in life sciences
- providing long-term education, training and awareness-raising about NbS
- fostering open communication among academia, policy makers, industry and civil society
- proposing new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) licensing system for Slovenia and including it in the country’s legislative framework
- training 24 primary and secondary school teachers to promote and run the newly created EcoAdventures educational programme
- training 140 people from academia, 120 from industry and 120 from the policy realm in conferences, training sessions, webinars, study visits and workshops on effective river restoration
- involving 500 citizens in capacity-building and awareness-raising activities including summer schools, workshops, training sessions and webinars
- replicating the approach adopted for the Pšata catchment in 3 other locations, including the Pesnica River
- introducing initiatives such as the EcoAdventures programme in 10 additional catchment areas
- mobilising €5 million by the project’s end as additional funding to support the continuation and sustainability of project-related activities
- generating more than €80 000 in revenue from marketing a board game for children, webinars, training sessions and 2 EcoAdventures programme for schools
