DO YOU KNOW?

The new EUROJERSEY’s project with WWF Italia is for the protection of water in our country thanks to an awareness building campaign for safeguarding rivers.

© WWF / Andrija Vrdoljak

Do you know why river microorganisms purify water better than your city depurators?

The river environment is often defined as a “supermarket of biodiversity” on account of the wealth of living organisms and the unmatched biodiversity that characterise it.

© Michel Gunther / WWF

Do you know why it is important that the river carries its nutrients slowly?

All ecosystems perform a number of functions, referred to as ecosystem services, which we often underestimate.

© Michel Gunther / WWF

Do you know why land consumption prevents rivers from self-purifying their water?

River health is in danger. Land consumption is a major threat, but there are also other factors at play.

© Jasper Van Der Meij on Unsplash

Do you know how the rivers renaturation affects climate change?

The EU biodiversity strategy for 2020-2030 envisages the restoration of at least 25,000 km of rivers in Europe, of which about 1,600 km in Italy.

© Jose AS Reyes on Shutterstock

Do you know that the active participation of people can make the difference to protect rivers?

The management of water resources offers a unique opportunity to activate participatory processes.

The Living Rivers lesson

Rivers generate a series of ecosystems that gradually fade into one another in an ecological continuum in their passage from source to their mouth. This natural ecological flow guarantees a series of vital functions for the species that populate it and humans too. But what does happen if the continuum is broken? Andrea Agapito Ludovici presents examples of large and small hydroelectric works, built-in different continents, which have led the local authorities to back-front the decision taken despite the massive economic investments made for their construction. Why? Let’s find out together.