After-Gloria storm reflection
Taking advantage of the debate generated by the Gloria storm, we want to share a pedagogical and constructive reflection related with rivers from our territory.
First of all, we want to give our support to the people and families affected by the storm. Especially those who have lost a family member, our deepest condolences.
We know that episodes like this can usually happen due to multiple factors, and that’s the rreason why it’s important to do pedagogy. We share the opinion of Narcís Prat
LIFE Alnus is based on the recovery of riverside places. At first sight, it is evident that there is an ecological component in this project, but we cannot escape from the reality that fluvial places are also a very humanized spaces with a high public use. Therefore, the recovery of these riverbank forests deal with several objectives.
The first one is to recover the river dynamics, habitats and fauna and flora. Knowing better “how our rivers work” will help us to understand and respect their movements.
People who live near the rivers know that the river “gives but alse takes away”. This is the perspective that we would have to assume to make a change. A change in the planning of territory, structures, housing, industries…which put all these spaces outside the scope of the rivers.
We cannot fall into the mistake of believing that, the cleaner (understanding it as the removal of vegetation) the rivers are, the less “problems” they will give us. This is false. We know that vegetation is esencial because of multiple factors (see image 2).
So, we have to continue doing pedagogy to explain the importance of vegetation, but also the importance of the places where this vegetation has to be: the alluvial forests, which keep a narrow relation with flood cycles. Although most part of these places have suffered strong occupations for various human uses (industrial, agricultural, urban…). Despite this, the objective has to be reoriented towards the improvement and recovery of the entire domain and functionality of the river system (see image 3).
Now is the moment to rethink and redirect the different uses of fluvial areas, for conservation but also for prevention. We assume the challenge and work on it.
The river and its riverbeds, such as coasts, are vulnerable places. That’s why their communities are habitats of special interest, set by European legislation. Thanks to this, it allows us to carry out Life projects, such as Life Alnus.
We assume the challenge, recover the riverbank forests, the fluvial dynamics and let’s make a rational use without ignoring their potential flood area.
Here we leave other related links of interest:
Planta Baixa TV3: Després del Gloria, ens adaptem?
