Applying a river basin-wide approach

By project RIWET

Published on 02 April 2025

Spain

About this good practice

River basin management is not implemented at the municipal level, even though municipalities are responsible for managing river sections within urban areas. A new water governance framework must be created to strengthen municipal commitment to green-blue infrastructure management.
The concept of the river basin has evolved to include social and ecological dimensions, leading to the development of broader concepts such as the ecosocial basin, which acknowledge the complex relationships between water resources and human society.
The transition towards water management based on the ecosocial approach requires a shift from a purely engineering-based perspective to a multidisciplinary approach.
Limne, together with the Consorci de La Ribera, applies the river basin approach so that 13 municipalities in the Júcar river basin jointly manage the river through nature-based actions.

Expert opinion

Rivers are an important ecosystem within the EU Nature Restoration Law, which aims to restore degraded environments, habitats and species across Europe. The collaboration described in the Júcar river basin is well aligned with this regulation, as well as the EU Water Framework Directive, providing a good example of collaborative water governance at the local level. What stands out about the practice are the implementation of nature-based solutions to river restoration - moving away from traditional engineering solutions towards a more multidisciplinary approach - and the community involvement, fostered through the implementation of ‘ecosocial’ principles and governance frameworks. Regions with similar governance structures can learn from this practice by considering inter-municipal cooperation along the river basin and closely monitoring relevant EU funding opportunities.

James Ling

Works at Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform

Resources needed

For the 2022-2025 period, the project has a budget of €3,945,209.50. Of this total budget, the project obtained €3,747,949.03 from the Biodiversity Foundation (MITECO) within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), financed by the European Union - NextGenerationEU.

Evidence of success

The "Canya a la Canya!" (Let's rock the reed!) project covers a 75 km section of the Júcar River, affecting 13 municipalities and 124,358 m2. It has removed Invasive Alien Species from the entire urban area, gained 12,260 m2 of fluvial space, and planted over 98,000 plants. The project also stabilized riverbanks in Alzira & Cullera (Krainer walls), held workshops and meetings, foster fluvial stewardship agreements, formed a consultative council, and implemented 729 educational activities.

Potential for learning or transfer

These municipalities have a strategic commitment to combat flooding, climate change effects, and generate sustainable public use and participatory governance systems concerning the Júcar River.

The project will create a green corridor along the Júcar River, focusing on conservation and improvement through invasive species management, native vegetation recovery, obstruction removal, abandoned cultivation area transformation, and margin stabilization, common problems all along Europe.

The 13 municipalities collaborate under the coordination of the Consorci de La Ribera and Limne, working together to prevent downstream actions from negatively affecting lower basin municipalities. They share objectives and a vision for the river, managing it as the backbone of the territory, and improving governance through joint efforts.

The joint municipal management approach is easily exportable to regions with similar governance structures (municipalities with water competences).