From September 2024, the Institute will be a partner in a new project as part of the INTERREG IPA Adrion program entitled “Enhancing Cross-Border Cooperation for Riverine Plastic Litter Reduction in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas” and the acronym TETHYS4ADRION.
The overall aim of the project is to investigate the role and contribution of rivers to marine plastic pollution in the Adriatic-Ionian region and to develop and implement strategies to mitigate the discharge of riverine litter into the sea. Specifically, the project will focus on
– introducing new and state-of-the-art methods and implementing coordinated and concerted monitoring of riverine litter on selected rivers
– testing solutions to prevent and mitigate pollution of the sea by riverine litter
– laying the foundation for the development of a sustainable and effective plan for the management and reduction of river waste in the Adriatic-Ionian region
– reduce the harmful impact of riverine litter on the marine environment and biodiversity of the region by promoting transboundary cooperation, fostering dialogue with stakeholders, and implementing multi-level actions
In addition to the IOR, nine other project partners and nine associated partners are involved. The leading partner of the project is the National Institute of Chemistry from Ljubljana, Slovenia, while the other partners are as follows: City of Metković, ISPRA – Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE) and Hellenic Centre for Marine Research from Greece, the Institute of Marine Biology of the University of Montenegro, the Water Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, the University of Tirana, Albania, and the City of Capljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The duration of the project is 36 months, and the total value is €1,712,579.60.
The initial meeting of the project, attended by representatives of all project partners, was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia on October 16 and 17, 2024.
