The meeting is scheduled for 28 May, at the Trofa City Hall, and stems from the “growing proliferation of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), an invasive species that has been significantly affecting the river ecosystem [in the Ave River], compromising biodiversity, ecological balance and the sustainable use of the river,” reads the statement from that municipality.

Intermunicipal strategy

Among the objectives of the meeting is also the “definition of an intermunicipal strategy for the rehabilitation and environmental enhancement of the Ave River,” adds the press release.

According to the city hall led by Sérgio Araújo, “the working session will allow for a joint diagnosis of the current situation, evaluate strategies for the removal and control of the invasive species, strengthen institutional coordination between the municipalities and the APA, and identify possible funding lines that allow for structured and sustainable interventions.”

Unprecedented initiative

The statement also mentions the “unprecedented nature” of the initiative, which brings together for the “first time the four municipalities crossed by the Ave River in a concerted and integrated action of institutional cooperation aimed at environmental recovery and enhancement of this important natural resource.”

Environmental challenges know no administrative boundaries and require articulated and integrated responses. This meeting represents a very important step towards building a common strategy for the protection and enhancement of the Ave River, involving municipalities and entities with direct responsibility for the management of the territory and water resources,” emphasises Sérgio Araújo, quoted in the statement.

Cooperation between municipalities

The municipality highlights that the cooperation between the municipalities and the APA "aims to create conditions for a more effective and sustainable intervention, promoting coordinated technical solutions, knowledge sharing, and access to environmental financing instruments and adaptation to climate change."

Set of interventions to be finalised

The municipality also points out that it is finalising, in partnership with the APA, "a set of interventions within the scope of support for climate transition and the Rehabilitation of the Hydrographic Network."

Actions for cleaning, unclogging, desilting, and preserving the riparian gallery in nine watercourses tributary to the Ave River in the municipality, as well as the stabilisation of banks, improvement of riverside habitats, rehabilitation of degraded hydraulic infrastructures, and reinforcement of water quality monitoring systems, make up the set of planned interventions.