The We Go Coop Roadshow to transfer the Wetland Contract methodology was organised on the basis of a set of structured participative working processes for the target area Carvalhal Wetland, in Alentejo, Portugal. The process included the following steps:
- Stakeholders mapping.
- Preliminary context analysis.
- Four participatory working sessions carried out from February to June 2025:
- Session 1 – Presentation of the We Go Coop project and the concepts associated with Wetland Contracts.
- Session 2 – Context and SWOT analysis of the target area.
- Session 3 – Strategic planning, aiming to structure the strategy for the sustainable management of the Wetland.
- Session 4 – Final session to validate the Strategy proposal and agreed on the Local Protocol final contents and signature process.
4 Final formulation and approval by all stakeholders of the Proposed Strategy for Sustainable Management of the Carvalhal Wetland.
- Signing of the Local Protocol.
The Carvalhal Wetland consists of an ancient coastal lagoon system: Travessa Lagoon (15 hectares), Formosa Lagoon (70 hectares) and Fuzis Lagoon (4 hectares). The most important habitat is peatlands, which are now deteriorated because of drainage and many decades of farming. Other natural habitats were identified, all presenting a poor conservation state due to fragmentation, abandoning and penetration of exotic species. Reduction of underground water is a negative factor. It results from changes in rainfall patterns and drought, from the deviation of water towards the nearby rice fields, and more importantly, from high consumption of underground water in the intensive urbanisation that surrounds the lagoons.
The involvement of stakeholders through the participatory process allowed to: i) establish the goals to be achieved for the sustainable management of the Carvalhal Wetland; ii) to define a governance strategy, organised in seven domains; iii) Outline and signature of a Local Protocol formalising the commitments and acting as a framework for collaboration among the stakeholders.
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