Advances
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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.
Removal of 1,343 meters of defensive dikes that constricted the river and construction of a smaller defense (899 meters) and away from the riverbed.
Returning space to the river.
Creation of a relief channel connecting the river to La Roza meander
The drainage capacity of the railroad bridge eyes has been improved.
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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 about12 hectares of intervention area. In addition, the first cuttings were planted by the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation at the limits of the new relief channel as part of the morphological adaptation.
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Soto de Alfaro
Nature-based solutions. Concluded by the Ebro Hydrographic Confederation. 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.
An example of participatory actions: getting to know on the ground the actions for the recovery of river branches in Alfaro.
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3. Meander of El Señorío, Castejón, Navarre
The public information file for the project has been approved and the land for the morphological pending availability of the land for the morphological adaptation.
PHASE 1 of the environmental restoration is being executed.Phase 1: interventions on the left bank of the Ebro river in front of the meander of El Señorío. 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.
Recovery of the river area with the removal of 1.3 km of the existing perimeter dike in the meander.
Creation of a relief channel, recovering an arm of the Ebro River that will allow for water levels in flood situations.
Restoration of the meander with plantations that promote and accelerate natural revegetation.
Connection of the natural enclaves preserved on the left bank, constituting three ecological corridors
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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, through the creation of lateral flow buffer zones. These buffer zones will compartmentalize agricultural farms in areas that will be pre-flooded just before the levees overflow, generating water buffers that will minimize damage to farms and infrastructures. Objective: improvement of 350 hectares of agricultural land 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.
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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 with subsequent 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.
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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. Preparatory actions.
Public information sessions and field visits have been held with interested parties to explain the intervention in detail.
Links to information of interest:
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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:
Small groups for deliberation and joint creation of actions of the project partners with the stakeholders of the territory.
Specific forum for conflict transformation in flood risk management. This group brings together those affected and representatives of the sectors at stake in the intervention areas and the entire middle stretch of the Ebro.
It is also
in the preparatory phase
a citizen science experience, the project’s monitoring platform that you can learn more about here.
here
.
In execution and active various informative actions are also underway and active:
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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
.
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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,
in the development phase
. Its objective is that territories with similar problems similar to those to those of Life Ebro Resilience P1 can replicate the replicate the successful successful actions of the Project.
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With the contribution of the LIFE financial instrument of the European Community LIFE20 ENV/ES/000327