LIFE-NITRAZENS
Supporting Nitrate Governance through
Citizen-Engaging Tools
To address the urgent challenge of nitrate contamination, a significant threat to both ecosystems and human health, LIFE-NITRAZENS aims to create a sustainable and transferable model for nitrate pollution mitigation.
The LIFE-NITRAZENS Objective
The LIFE-NITRAZENS project addresses a critical global challenge: nitrate contamination in water, a major threat to both ecosystems and human health. Nitrate pollution, primarily from agricultural runoff and improper organic waste management, leads to environmental degradation, including eutrophication of water bodies and serious health risks like methemoglobinemia and cancer.
36 Months Project
11 Consortium Members
Spain & Portugal Partners
2M € Funding
The LIFE-NITRAZENS Day to Day
6 Pilot Areas
LIFE-NITRAZENS will target six pilot areas across two regions in Spain And Portugal, focusing on raising awareness and fostering behavioral change through citizen science initiatives. By engaging local communities in monitoring nitrate levels, the project aims to increase public knowledge, encourage sustainable farming practices, and improve the governance of nitrate pollution. Additionally, the project will develop a replicability and transferability plan in Portugal’s Mondego River basin, a region similarly affected by nitrate pollution.
Villadiegos (Burgos, Spain)
Tordesillas (Valladolid, Spain)
Cuellar (Segovia, Spain)
Valderrobres (Teruel, Spain)
Huesca (Aragón, Spain)
Calatayud (Aragón, Spain)
The LIFE-NITRAZENS project will develop a replicability and transferability plan that will be validated in the Mondego River basin in Portugal.
Project Objectives
Citizen Science for Nitrate Monitoring
Develop a citizen science project to engage citizens in the monitoring of nitrate concentration present in surface water, groundwater and drinking water across the six designated piloting areas.
Behavioural Change
Develop Best Management Practices (BMPs) Guidelines to optimise fertiliser use and impart behavioural change and capacity building trainings to promote adoption of these sustainable agricultural practices for nitrate pollution mitigation.
Awareness-Raising
Engage citizens in awareness-raising and informational campaigns to raise knowledge about the importance of nitrate-free water and the impacts of this pollutant in the environment and human health.
Centralised Nitrate Data
Create a Data Sharing and Access Platform as a centralised nitrate data repository registering already existing data relevant to nitrate governance including records from Hydrographic Confederations, Ministries of Health and other entities and certified laboratories.
Data Sharing
Implement data sharing technologies as a communication and cooperation platform for collecting and sharing the information within a broad community supporting information exchange between the LIFE-NITRAZENS partners and participant stakeholders.
Replicability and Transferability
Ensure credible replication and transfer of the project results by validation of the developed tools and strategies in Portugal by application of the Mutual Learning Exercise methodology.
Stakeholder Engagement
Involve different types of stakeholders throughout the citizen-engaging tools and strategies developed in LIFE-NITRAZENS including the general public, environmental NGOs, local action groups, farmers, agricultural associations, policy makers, relevant authorities.
Dissemination and Communication
Generate a dissemination and communication plan to effectively communicate the project’s goals, progress and results to various stakeholders, including farmers, policymakers, researchers, and the general public.
Contribute to environmental policy
A summary of the findings achieved within the project will be shared with policy makers and relevant authorities to advocate for new forms of environmental governance related to nitrate pollution management and mitigation, foster evidence-based policymaking in environmental matters.
Let's Get in Touch!
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