Celebrating 10 Years of River Stewardship in Catalonia

This 2025 marks ten years since the signing of the first river stewardship agreement in Catalonia—an innovative tool for the conservation of public hydraulic domains and aquatic ecosystems. Since then, more than 35 agreements have been promoted across the region, most of which remain active, delivering very positive results in the ecological improvement of rivers and increased social engagement in their management.

To commemorate this milestone, the Nature Conservation Network (XCN) and the Catalan Water Agency are organizing a celebratory event on June 13 and 14. The first day will include presentations on the new legal framework for river conservation and successful case studies from across Catalonia. The second day will be dedicated to a technical field trip to the Sils wetland, a reference site for land stewardship. Pre-registration is required, and participants may choose to attend either one or both days.

From the Center for Territorial Sustainability (CST), we also want to join in the celebration. We work on river stewardship projects such as Can Poeti – Molí d’en Simon, on the Brugent River, where we promote ecological improvement and social innovation through a model of active participation and collaboration with the local community.

This specific experience has led to educational activities, environmental monitoring, and the drafting of a Management Plan for the 2024–2028 period. In addition, we also contribute through scientific research: our colleague Mireia Jiménez is developing a PhD thesis on river governance and stewardship, using the Brugent watershed as a case study.

For us, river stewardship is not only a conservation tool but also a new way of relating to the land, based on recognizing nature as a subject of rights and embracing shared responsibility.