OneAquaHealth engages with river policy stakeholders and joins the “International day of action for rivers”

“Everyone does their part” was the motto used by the scientific director of the Benevento Research site within the European project OneAquaHealth (project 101086521) to commence his speech during the “International Day of Action for Rivers”. This event took place on 14.03.2025 in Benevento, Italy, and  was organized by various local associations, including WWF Sannio, Lipu Benevento, Legambiente Benevento, Archeoclub di Apice, Comitato Fiume Calore Irpino, Codisam, and the Slow Food Campania section of Bonito, under the sponsorship of the Municipality of Benevento. Some of these associations serve as Local Allies of OneAquaHealth.

The discussions, held in the historic halls of Palazzo “Paolo V”—formerly the “Domus Universitatis Prope Ecclesiam Catherinae” (1503) and later the municipal seat during the papal domination of Benevento (1607) until the earthquake of 1980—focused on the protection and enhancement of groundwaters and rivers. These discussions were complemented by field experiences from OneAquaHealth, which specifically addressed the rivers flowing through the city of Benevento.

The participating associations aligned themselves with the International Day of Action for Rivers, an initiative conceived by the International Rivers association, founded in 1997. This day is observed in over 35 countries worldwide, predominantly by rural communities, activists, educators, students, artists, academics, and citizens passionate about protecting river ecosystems.

The event’s objectives included identifying concrete actions (WP6 T6.2 decision support), promoting citizen awareness (WP4 T4.4 citizen science in practice), and advocating for greater respect from governing bodies towards these invaluable ecosystems (WP6 T6.3 exploitation plans and sustainability routes).

During the public meeting, the activities executed by the OneAquaHealth project were presented by the leader of the Benevento research site. These activities, focusing on 18 river channels and 20 sampling points, have been ongoing in 2023 and 2024 and are set to continue in 2025 and 2026.

Author(s): Luigi Esposito, DVM, PhD, University of Naples Federico II