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Salvemos la Albufera! Pensando y luchando contra el cambio climático.

2022-1-ES02-KA152-YOU-0000535442022Mobility of young peoplefinalized
Countries: ES|NL|MK|IT|SI · Grant: €26,069
Green skillsEnvironment and climate changeHuman rights and rule of law

Objectives

Valencia is a city crossed and surrounded by water: the Turia, the Mediterranean, and the Albufera have helped shape the character of our city and serve as an economic, social, and ecological engine. We bathe in the Mediterranean waters, and half of Europe has bathed in them; the waters of the Turia irrigate our fields and orchards; the Albufera provides us with water to grow our rice and at the same time gives us a Natural Park teeming with biodiversity, yet at risk. When we think of a Natural Park, we think of well-kept natural environments largely removed and protected from human activity. In these places, wildlife thrives. The Albufera, in this sense, is completely different. Our wetland, despite being a Natural Park, is subject to intense human activity and numerous pressures. The modernization of irrigation has led to a decrease in the water flow reaching it; Water pollution makes life difficult, both from the pollutants, pesticides, and fertilizers carried by the water, as well as the plastics and waste it carries. Added to this is the damage caused by severe storms and contaminated water overflowing from wastewater treatment plants. Furthermore, the Albufera lagoon faces urban development pressures as a Natural Park surrounded by a population of more than one million people. Added to all this is the pressure exerted by industrial activities and their effluents, as well as agricultural activities, especially the burning of rice straw, which is subsidized and continues despite being highly toxic and polluting. Finally, the pressures coming from the coast should also be noted. Water level regulation means that saltwater incursions into the wetland cause salinization. The consequences can be devastating in the medium term. And from the north comes a new threat to the already battered Albufera: the expansion of the Port of Valencia is causing the loss of sand from the beaches that serve as a protective barrier for the wetland. The so-called shadow effect prevents the arrival of new sediments to the beaches south of the port, and storms wash away the increasingly thin line of sand. Each storm is a salty wound to the Albufera. For this reason, and for many other reasons, it is urgent that environmental education for young people play a relevant role in the fight to protect the Albufera. At Enabling Change, we believed that the role of young people was essential to awaken society and avoid the disaster of climate change and the destruction of the Albufera as it was known. Therefore, it was deemed necessary to involve them in the needed change, promoting a more ecological, nature-friendly, and conscious future. For all of the above, and much more, environmental education was considered fundamental and represented the heart of this initiative. Objectives: - To reflect on the situation in the Albufera lagoon and discuss solutions, approaches, and relevant actions to improve the situation. - To increase knowledge about ecological capabilities and the transition to a zero-emission economy. - To use art and creativity as vehicles for youth participation and expression. - To learn about human rights, respect-based social dialogue, and ecology as an inalienable part of well-being. - To think and play to learn, share, and progress through respect. - To develop skills to organize their own youth events. - To use art, sports, and other non-formal education activities as vehicles for participation and expression. - To motivate young people to organize their own inclusive green initiatives.

Project partners (5)