On April 7-8, Angela Freitas and Harm op den Akker, representing SHINE 2Europe, landed in Naples, Italy – famous for its rich culture, passionate people, and of course, its legendary pizza – to take part in the Annual OneAquaHealth Consortium Meeting.
Hosted under the Horizon Europe programme and coordinated by the University of Coimbra, the OneAquaHealth project is advancing knowledge in the OneHealth framework. By exploring the connections between ecological, animal, and human health, the project aims to develop tools that integrate data across these domains, guiding decision-makers toward creating more sustainable and healthier environments.
OneAquaHealth spans across five different research sites: Coimbra (Portugal), Toulouse (France), Ghent (Belgium), Benevento (Italy), and Oslo (Norway). In each of these locations, Local Alliances of citizens and stakeholders, including decision-makers, are being activated with the support and guidance of SHINE 2Europe, who is leading the Citizen Science and Ethical Sustainability work package.
During the Naples meeting, SHINE 2Europe led a forward-looking session focused on future engagement and co-design activities, collaborating with partners from the University of Oslo, WISE, and Marionet (creators of the upcoming Science-in-Theatre play). The session fostered a rich dialogue about upcoming local workshops, where citizens will test the Citizen Science App, and decision-makers will help shape a Decision-Support System to protect urban aquatic ecosystems.
Looking ahead, the next months will be hectic with engagement activities in all research sites. From fine-tuning the Citizen Science App with real users to co-creating tools with local communities, SHINE 2Europe is making sure that citizen voices and ethical sustainability are at the heart of this innovative project.
For more information about OneAquaHealth please visit: https://www.oneaquahealth.eu/