The Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia (FMRM), as the leading partner of the European LIFE GreenMe5 project, has collaborated in the organization of the 5th Green Innovation Camp, held this week in Cieza and focused on the biodiversity pillar within the Green City Accord.
Within the framework of this meeting, the first event was also held peer to peer, in which the municipalities of Murcia and Cieza shared with the other partners good practices related to the five pillars of the agreement: air quality, water quality, noise pollution, biodiversity and waste management.
The activities began in the municipality of Murcia with a visit to the Vivillo meander restoration project, where participants learned about the progress of this initiative and its impact on improving riparian ecosystems. Afterwards, they traveled to the Cañada Hermosa plant, where they were shown the waste management and recovery processes.
The day continued in Cieza, where various initiatives related to Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and nature-based solutions were presented, aimed at improving urban resilience and advancing the tree cover targets established by the Nature Restoration Regulation. Green infrastructure management projects in different areas of the municipality were also showcased, including Camino de Murcia, Calle Esparteros—where the URBACT BiodiverCity project was presented—and the Juan XXIII North and South zones.
The tour ended in the Prince of Asturias Park, where a high water consumption lawn area has been transformed into a butterfly garden, promoting biodiversity and reducing water consumption.
The 25th took place Green Innovation CampThe event, which included the participation of municipal technicians, political leaders, and sustainability experts, featured Alfonso Alcolea, representative of the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Environment.
The day included a presentation by Gerard Passola, an international expert in arboriculture, as well as presentations from the municipalities of Cieza, Arezzo, Lorquí, and Vilnius, along with organizations such as ANSE, the Segura River Basin Authority, Arbocity, and Singular Green. To conclude, participants visited the pilot project for the renaturalization of the playground at the Cristo del Consuelo Public School, guided by its designer, Paz González, in which the school community also actively participated.
In the institutional sphere, the political reception was attended by Antonio Moreno, Secretary General of the Federation of Municipalities of the Region of Murcia, who accompanied the Mayor of Cieza, thus reinforcing the FMRM's commitment to promoting sustainable local policies and municipal cooperation.
Following the technical sessions, the project partners were able to learn about the historical heritage of the municipality with visits to the Serreta Cave and the Medina Siyâsa archaeological site.
The meeting concluded on the 26th with the celebration of Steering Committee Meeting, in which the progress of the different work packages of the project was reviewed.
The FMRM highly values the development of these conferences, highlighting their productive nature and the exchange of experiences between European municipalities, which are fundamental to moving towards more sustainable urban models.
