The "ECO" initiative, which aims to create a shared vision for the preservation and enhancement of natural heritage, was presented by the Estarreja City Council in the Aveiro region. Students, farmers, and organisations associated with the Baixo-Vouga Lagunar will be asked to contribute to a shared project that addresses the region’s high biodiversity, its landscape identity, cultural values, and tradition.

During the first phase, public sessions will be held across parish councils to gather proposals for a comprehensive strategy. The project emphasises the area’s high biodiversity, distinctive landscapes, cultural traditions, and heritage.

However, challenges such as fragmented land ownership, the spread of invasive species, and competing interests will need to be addressed as part of the process. With ECO, Estarreja aims to integrate diverse interests into a cohesive territorial management strategy. “We want, together with all those who can be main actors in this global project, to make our nature produce even more than it already does, particularly in economic and social terms “, said mayor Diamantino Sabina.

The initiative, officially named Estarreja Colaborativa e Orientadora, forms part of the European TRANS-lighthouses project and draws on its guiding principles. The project showcases Estarreja’s potential, particularly with the Baixo Vouga Lagunar and its fertile agricultural lands. Councillor for the Environment, Isabel Simões Pinto, acknowledged the ambition and initiative, highlighting its emphasis on collaborative governance.

“It marks a change, betting on collaborative governance where, with the involvement of all partners, we also intend to build innovative public policies,” she explained. The mayor concluded by emphasising the critical importance of community involvement, “There can be no conservation of nature without people being involved in the management and preservation process, and this is one of the main objectives of this project”.