A-AAGORA showcases leadership in community-led biodiversity and ocean restoration at key European conferences
During the first half of May 2025, the A-AAGORA project actively engaged in several high-profile dissemination events across Europe, demonstrating its leadership in community-driven biodiversity protection, marine ecosystem restoration, and sustainable regional development.
At the Regional Studies Association Annual Conference in Porto, Portugal, Zacharoula Kyriazi (Demo IE) presented a pivotal paper titled “The Power of Learning from the Bottom Up: A Blueprint for Community-Led Biodiversity Protection and Restoration“. This presentation underscored the significance of empowering local communities, using the Harper’s Island Wetlands as a case study, and offered a practical framework for scaling biodiversity restoration efforts globally. The conference served as a vibrant platform for A-AAGORA to highlight its innovative approach to participatory governance and sustainable regional innovation.
In parallel, A-AAGORA’s coordinator Ana Lillebø participated in the “Surfing the Blue: Navigating Ocean-Funding Opportunities” event organized by Portugal’s Agência Nacional de Inovação and the Comité Nacional para a Década do Oceano. Alongside project partners CESAM and AIR Centre, the team showcased A-AAGORA as a beacon of success in marine and coastal ecosystem restoration. The event fostered critical alignment with national and European funding initiatives such as Mission Ocean and Horizon Europe, reinforcing A-AAGORA’s strategic positioning within broader ocean conservation and climate adaptation frameworks.
Complementing these efforts, the project marked a strong presence at the 2025 Alternet Conference, themed “Achieving Transformative Change for Biodiversity”. Vera Helene Hausner of UiT – The Arctic University of Norway delivered a keynote on “The Transformative Power of Co-Creation for Ecosystem Restoration“, highlighting the project’s collaborative ethos. Additionally, A-AAGORA’s Portuguese demonstration site was represented through a range of presentations and posters, reinforcing the project’s commitment to integrating scientific research with community engagement to foster sustainable environmental stewardship.
These engagements illustrate A-AAGORA’s dynamic role in shaping policies and practices around biodiversity and ocean restoration, while emphasizing community empowerment as a cornerstone of lasting ecological transformation.
