Imagine a natural river….Think of the lush green vegetation along its length – this is riparian vegetation – a distinctive and very vulnerable part of rivers. Unfortunately, rivers are so degraded nowadays that such an image is becoming increasingly rare.
Riparian vegetation forms a distinctively lush natural community that depends directly on the river. It develops in the humid transition area between the river and the terrestrial uplands, the so called riparian zone. The riparian zone is extremely diverse in habitat types, vegetation and wildlife and has a fundamental role in the river valley’s ecosystem dynamics. The existence of rivers that still possess an extensive indigenous riparian gallery, comprising vegetation characteristic of the biogeographic region in which it occurs, is becoming increasingly scarce as they are frequently subject to degradation and modification.
The goal of this project is to contribute to improving know-how and overcoming limitations in the development of management strategies for riparian zones; taking into account the natural characteristics, the economic potential, and the importance of these habitats as ecological corridors. In this respect, this project aims to contribute to the rehabilitation and/or restoration of these ecosystems.
The term RIPIDURABLE is coined from the conjugation of two words: “RIPI” derived from the latin word riparius which means “river bank” whilst the word “DURABLE”, of French origin, which means “sustained”. The term RIPIDURABLE conveys the fundamental idea behind this project: “sustainable river”. In other words, the project aims to bring together the economic potential of these areas with their fundamental functional role in nature conservation as well as the conservation of water, soil and landscape via their rational conservation management.
The project is co-financed by the Interreg IIIC – South programme, a European Union interregional cooperation programme. This project comprises collaborative measures via the effective exchange of knowledge and best management practices (BMPs).
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