Created by SEO/BirdLife in collaboration with Ecoembes, Project Libera is launching a new version of the ‘1m2 for rivers, lakes and reservoirs’ citizen science campaign. It will take place from March 11-19. This campaign aims to continue to expand knowledge about the environmental impacts of litter in river environments.
In this way and to coincide with the International Day of Rivers celebrated on March 14, LIBERA is looking to add new volunteers who want to save the country’s river environment from garbage for the sixth year in a row. This campaign collects data to analyze both the type and weight of garbage found in these environments. Until next March 5, any organization, association or organization can participate by creating garbage collection points on the web. proyectolibera.org.
As with all civic science campaigns, participating groups will receive advance training and mobile apps ‘eLitter’ and ‘rubbish‘Developed by the Paisaje Limpio and Vertidos Cero associations in collaboration with Libera. The data obtained will be integrated into the database of the Ministry of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (MITECO) and added to the predefined objects that Libera collects in the “Garbage Barometer”.
‘1m2 along rivers, lakes and reservoirs’ in the final edition of 2022, on cleaning and data collection days developed thanks to the collaboration of more than 100 people 5,000 volunteers in 370 locations across the countryA total of 6 tons of garbage could be analyzed from the categorized garbage. 54,000 objects.
The most common butts, boxes and bags
It ranks first among the most abundant and characterized litter in river environments. butts, followed by beverage cans and candy bags, wrapping paper and sticks. “80% of the plastic waste found in the oceans comes from terrestrial sources and its main gateway is rivers. To implement effective solutions, it is necessary to increase knowledge about the types of waste found in river beds,” says Miguel Muñoz, coordinator of LIBERA. Project at SEO/BirdLife.
According to data from the Man and Territory Association (HyT), a collaborator of the Libera Project, it analyzed 120 different samples from more than 30 rivers in Spain in 2022, analyzing the state of these ecosystems by sampling them in their channels. Major fibers (96.2%) were found in 83% of the analyzed samples.
“40% of the waters of rivers, lagoons, wetlands or aquifers in Spain do not meet the requirements set by the water regulation, either because they are contaminated, ecologically degraded or overused, according to assessments by 26 hydrographic confederations. These are shocking data and so we must continue to raise awareness from Libera about the pollution in our rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Sara Güemes, Ecoembes Libera Project Coordinator, said: “With this campaign, we will create points to help fight litter and collect data on litter.”
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Contact address of the environment department: [email protected]