On 25 October, Ana Lillebø, coordinator of the European projects A-AAGORA and Restore4Cs, participated in the Serralves Park Conference ‘Challenges and opportunities in integrated water management – from source to sea’. In a session on integrated coastal management, the CESAM/UA researcher presented ‘Coastal restoration with nature and people: demonstrating ecosystem-based management using a living laboratory approach’, highlighting the innovative and collaborative approaches developed in the two projects she leads.
She then took part in the round table ‘Making the difference: integrated management of pollution and socio-ecological systems’, moderated by Vítor Vasconcelos of CIIMAR. The panel also included international experts Pedro Carvalho (Aarhus University, Denmark), Ángel Borja (AZTI, Spain) and Fabio Bulleri (University of Pisa, Italy), who addressed critical challenges and practical solutions for water management.
The two-day conference, organized by Serralves Foundation, brought together scientists, professionals and representatives from different sectors to discuss the ‘source to sea’ connection. In line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 (clean water and sanitation) and 14 (life in water), the event highlighted the importance of understanding the interactions between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, promoting cooperation, co-creation and sustainable solutions in the use and conservation of water.