MAR2PROTECT has successful launched the Frielas LivingLab in Portugal during the last week. The event was proudly hosted by NOVA FCT, as the third demosite of the project. 

This exciting event was achieved in collaboration with a wide range of partners and stakeholders, including the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), the Regulatory Authority for Water and Waste Services (ERSAR), the Municipality of Loures, the Municipality of Lisbon, the Municipality of Almada, Lisbon E-NOVA, the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC), the Center for Marine and Environmental Sciences (MARE), the Portuguese Association of Environmental Technologies Companies (Apemeta), Águas do Tejo Atlântico, and Aquapor, among others.

The first workshop brought together these prominent entities with the aim of discussing groundwater management both nationally and across Europe. The primary focus was on ensuring the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the strategies proposed by the project. During the event, successful case studies were explored, key challenges were identified, and next steps were outlined to drive progress in this vital area.

The upcoming workshop of the LivingLab will focus on gathering stakeholders’ opinions on the technologies developed in the project, as well as co-creating awareness activities for civil society on this crucial topic.

The implementation of the #LivingLab is supported by the methodology and detailed guidance provided by IHE Delft Institute for Water Education.

MAR2PROTECT seeks to save the world’s groundwater from contamination through an innovative and holistic approach.  This research project brings together two main strategies, the M-AI-R tool and LivingLabs, to create new approaches for safeguarding groundwater as it becomes more vulnerable in the face of climate change.

The project kicked off in December 2022 and will run for four years. It is funded by the Horizon Europe programme with a total cost of €4.143.681,25. MAR2PROTECT will usher in a new generation of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) that engages stakeholders and enhances both groundwater quality and quantity.

MAR2PROTECT, through its partner Centro Interdisciplinar De Investigacao Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR), and with the collaboration of CMIA de Viana do Castelo as a facilitator, held a successful workshop on February 21 to launch the project’s LivingLab in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, where the Lima River estuary is located.

Members of different sectors such as the public sector, academia, industry, and civil society attended the day. Using a co-creative approach, the stakeholders helped to identify the best ways for local societal engagement, detect possible challenges in the case study, raise community awareness prevent water contamination and provided feedback on the effectiveness and next steps.

This LivingLab is the first to be launched of the two located in Portugal. In total, there are seven demo-sites located across Africa and Europe; South Africa, Tunisia, Netherlands, Italy and Spain are each home to one demo-site, while Portugal is home to two. These sites have been carefully chosen for their success in previous projects as well as the climatic conditions, water sources, types of pollution, Managed Aquifer Recharge schemes and socio-political contexts.

MAR2PROTECT seeks to save the world’s groundwater from contamination through an innovative and holistic approach.  This research project brings together two main strategies, the M-AI-R tool and LivingLabs, to create new approaches for safeguarding groundwater as it becomes more vulnerable in the face of climate change.

The project kicked off in December 2022 and will run for four years. It is funded by the Horizon Europe programme with a total cost of €4.143.681,25. MAR2PROTECT will usher in a new generation of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) that engages stakeholders and enhances both groundwater quality and quantity.