Yesterday, the city of Coimbra hosted a major event, the Joint Session of the OneAquaHealth and GreenerAge projects. This initiative brought together a number of the city’s most prominent organisations, all united by a common goal: to promote the sustainability of the local community. The setting chosen for this meeting was the Old Pumping Station at the city park.
The event was co-organised by the University of Coimbra, through its Centre for Marine and Environmental Sciences (Freshwater Ecology MARE UC), in partnership with SHINE 2Europe, a socially-oriented applied research organisation in the Centro region that mobilises resources for the implementation of its innovative initiatives. The name of the meeting, “OneAquaHealth and GreenerAge: Together for a more Sustainable Coimbra,” underlines its purpose: to present both projects and foster dialogue between key local stakeholders about environmental sustainability and the health of the city’s natural and human ecosystems.
The OneAquaHealth project, coordinated by UC-MARE and in partnership with SHINE, is funded by the Horizon Europe programme. The project aims to use environmental observations to guide policies related to the health of aquatic ecosystems and humans in urban environments. The OneAquaHealth project’s Local Stakeholders Alliance, also gathered at the event, includes public and private organisations relevant to the sector, policy-makers, the education community, IPSS, NGOs and industry, who will play a key role in the project’s development over the coming years.
SHINE 2Europe held a multiplier event for its GreenerAge project, funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme. This project aims to raise the environmental literacy of adults over 55, encouraging the adoption of more sustainable behaviours and promoting active citizenship.
The session was opened by Maria João Feio from MARE and Carina Dantas from SHINE, both promoters of the event, who introduced the OneAquaHealth and GreenerAge projects.
Carina Dantas said that the meeting was “very enriching for the citizens, universities, schools, research units, policy makers and other entities in attendance, who demonstrated their interest in and commitment to collaboration between organisations in the city and the sharing of knowledge. This dedication and commitment gives hope for a more sustainable Coimbra, with organisations committed to shaping the city’s future and already planning practical actions based on what was shared during this public session.”
The session continued with several presentations by members of the Coimbra Local Alliance of OneAquaHealth, who shared relevant initiatives as well as their commitments and expectations for the project. Participants included Nathalie Nunes from the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra, Lúcio Meneses de Almeida from the Regional Health Administration, Ana Margarida Silva from the Eugénio de Castro School Group (Solum-Sul), Elisabete Pitarma from Cáritas Diocesana de Coimbra and José Raposo from the Environment Department of Coimbra City Council.
Carina Dantas also introduced NET4Age-Friendly and SIRENE as promoters of our SHAFE approach – as well as the NewEcoSmart and GUARDIANS projects which also aim to contribute to a more sustainable future.
Following the various presentations, a lively debate took place on synergies and collaborations to be initiated.
OneAquaHealth’s Coimbra Local Alliance is still open to partners interested in contributing to the management of health, urban aquatic ecosystems and the well-being of citizens. Organisations that were at the event yesterday – or others who are aware of the initiative – and wish to join the Alliance can get in touch with the OneAquaHealth team.