Advances
Adaptation and Adaptation and Mitigation / Nature and Biodiversity
Zone 1 SECTION OF COMBINED ACTIONS (Alfaro, La Rioja – Castejón, Navarra)
Demonstration section of the Project. A succession of natural water retention measures, nature-based solutions for river restoration that generate flood risk reduction benefits along the entire reach. Objective: improvement of 500 hectares of agricultural land and recovery of 45 hectares of river space.
1. Meander of La Roza, Alfaro, La Rioja
Morphological adaptation: completed in November 2023. It has meant the recovery of 22 hectares as a fluvial space, also included as a protected area in the Natura 2000 Network “Sotos y Riberas del Ebro”. Executed by the Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro.
Environmental restoration of La Roza meander: in progress.
Last step to complete the LIFE intervention.
The Government of La Rioja introduces 4,650 specimens of species typical of the banks of the Ebro and its groves, imitating the natural growth of riparian vegetation and occupying about 12 hectares of intervention area. In addition, the first cuttings were planted by the Ebro Hydrographic Authority at the limits of the new relief channel as part of the morphological adaptation.
Soto de Alfaro
Nature-based solutions. In execution by the Ebro Hydrographic Authority. Intervention also included in the Combined Actions Tranche.
The project consists of the recovery of river branches in an area of 60 hectares to promote the role of the meander as a fluvial space. The reopening of water paths allows the irrigation of the undergrowth and the recovery of the fluvial dynamics.
3. Meander of El Señorío, Castejón, Navarre
The public information file for the project has been approved and the land is pending availability of the land.
Execution: PHASE 1 of environmental restoration. Interventions on the left bank of the Ebro in front of the El Señorío meander. More information.
23 hectares of river space in the meander were recovered with the removal of 1.3 km of perimeter dike in an action by the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation. In addition, the Government of Navarre, through GAN-NIK, is restoring the meander with plantations that promote and accelerate natural revegetation.
Zone 2 PILOT PROJECT (Osera de Ebro – Fuentes de Ebro, Zaragoza)
Proposal to make an intensively cultivated agricultural area compatible with the passage of floods by creating lateral flow buffer zones. These buffer zones will compartmentalize farms into areas that will be pre-flooded just before the levees overflow, creating water buffers that will minimize damage to farms and infrastructure. Objective: improvement of 350 hectares of agricultural fields and recovery of 20 hectares of river space.
1. Adaptation of the irrigation system of the Comunidad de Regantes de la Huerta del Ebro (Fuentes de Ebro). In execution by the Government of Aragon.
The first phase of installation of a new underground pipeline further away from the riverbed has been completed. The number of injuries and cuts caused by the breakage of the fenders is reduced.
Recovery of the fluvial space. Improvement of resilience to flooding in the Ebro River, as it passes through Osera de Ebro and Fuentes de Ebro, in Zaragoza. Phase 1.
In execution by the Confederación Hidrográfica del Ebro and environmental restoration of the recovered area by the Government of Aragón.
The narrowing of the river channel is eliminated, recovering the drainage capacity during floods. 14 hectares are recovered as river space.
3. Lateral flow buffer zones. Improvement of flood resilience in the Ebro River, as it passes through Osera de Ebro and Fuentes de Ebro. Phase 2. Project drafted.
Public information sessions and field visits have been held with interested parties to explain the intervention in detail.
Links to information of interest:
Participation and Social Capacity Building Actions
Social Participation: public participation, as an inseparable part of flood risk management, is one of the main lines of the LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 project. Under implementation.
The project maintains active since the end of 2022 stable participation groups:
It is also in the preparatory phase a citizen science experience, the project’s monitoring platform that you can learn more about here.
In execution and active various informative actions are also underway and active:
Social Capacity Building: the LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 project has developed a Social Capacity Building Plan. Social capacity building is a central element to improve social resilience to floods and self-protection of the riparian population. Vulnerability is part of risk, and capabilities are part of vulnerability. If we strengthen capabilities, we reduce risk.
In execution. The project is implementing 16 campaigns for different sectors and, in some cases, they are already available, informative materials and is preparing the future forum of local entities.
Dissemination and Communication Actions
How to stay informed about the LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 Project? There is a Communication Plan that explores all the tools that allow a wider dissemination of the actions and progress of the project with two objectives (in execution):
To be a dissemination channel for proposals to support and enhance public participation and social capacity building campaigns.
Disseminate tools for flood risk adaptation.
In addition, work is being done to promote networking and exchange of experiences with professional sectors, other projects, various proposals from the LIFE Program, etc…
In execution
So far we have participated in 11 national, European and international networking actions, exceeding the forecasts set out in the initial proposal of the LIFE Ebro Resilience P1 Project.
Finally, the action of transfer and replication of project results is included, development phase. Its objective is that territories with similar problems to those of Ebro Resilience P1 can replicate the replicate the successful actions of the Project.
With the contribution of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Community LIFE20 ENV/ES/000327