RIVER 2 RIVER

Today urbanisation affects a river in many ways:

• physical structure:artificial walls replace reed beds and natural river banks, or in many cases the river is hidden underground,
• water quality: increased run-off from impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs and gardens, and contamination from industry discharges degrades water quality,
• ability to support wildlife: natural corridors, riparian zones and in-channel habitats are lost
• water quantity: decreased flow and reduced groundwater levels through abstraction and increased flow from surface run-off, increased frequency of floods and reduced infiltration.

River restoration and best practice management, is the core idea of the RIVER2RIVER project, aiming to address and reverse this degradation and achieve wide-ranging benefits that result in healthy rivers and catchments. CBC in the field of surface waters’ protection is still weak, as no common plans/actions on water monitoring, management and protection exist yet. Thus,the lack of cross-border coordination of actions is evident.Although, it can be challenging to undertake larger restoration projects in urban areas, due to cost and limited space, restoration can have a positive effect even at smaller scales, making use of sites that are available.

Therefore, the motivation of the RIVER2RIVER project is to maximize such opportunities aiming to promote the necessity of CBC in water resources’ monitoring, management and protection, in line with the EU policy and, more specific, according to the provisions of the WFD, focusing mainly in the CB surface aquatic environments.

The main goal of the project is to promote and ensure best practice restoration and management of rivers and their catchments under the EU WFD combining “Green Infrastructure”Approach and water governance initiatives.

Consequently, the main target groups from both sides, which RIVER2RIVER influences directly, are: a)Scientists, b)general public/citizens, c)fishermen, d)student community and e)local and regional government executives.

The RIVER2RIVER project’s overall objective is in full accordance with the programme’s specific objective of the thematic priority in which belongs: To Increase the effectiveness of environmental protection & sustainable use of natural resources, focusing in CB the river environments of Metsovo (GR) and Himara (AL) as case studies.

The main outpouts are the Two(2) Small-scale river restoration projects will be realized at both participating areas: LB will perform Cleaning, Maintenance and Bed’s Restoration Works in selected Small Streams of Metsovo’s Municipal Community (GR), and PB3 will perform stream restoration works in a part of Visha river between the National Road VL-SR till the Sea Delta.