The CAMIS Project: Coordinated activities for the management of the River Soča

The CAMIS project was implemented as part of the Slovenia–Italy Cross-Border Cooperation Operational Programme 2007–2013 – European Territorial Cooperation. The main aim of the project was to seek compromises between various stakeholders and to establish more appropriate cross-border management of the river from the perspective of the sustainable use of strategic resources and the conservation of watercourses. In terms of content, the project was divided into two parts:

the analytical and research part involved analyses of river morphology and hydraulics, as well as an analysis of water quality and suitability of water use;
the practical application part focused on pilot activities that will contribute to the sustainable use of the river and specific areas within the catchment, particularly for recreational and tourism purposes.

As part of the CAMIS project, the Water Institute of the Republic of Slovenia developed a support method for assessing the suitability of aquatic and riparian areas for selected water uses in the upper Soča catchment (hydropower, fish farming, bathing and municipal facilities for fishing purposes), based on a multi-criteria approach, spatial analysis and the interrelationships between various relevant data. The method enables sustainable and coordinated planning of current water uses in the selected pilot area, whilst the results facilitate the comparative cross-border transfer of knowledge to the entire Soča catchment area and to other catchment areas or river basins. The main objectives of developing the method and approach were:

to introduce modern management of water and riparian areas,
to provide support for the integrated management of water and riparian areas at local, regional, national and transnational levels,
to coordinate solutions through the active involvement of stakeholders at all levels,
to promote and establish an interdisciplinary approach and body of knowledge, and
to develop supporting methods and information tools.

Project partnership

The lead partner was the Posoški Development Centre, and ten other partners from both sides of the border took part in the project. On the Slovenian side, these were the municipalities of Bovec, Kobarid, Tolmin and Idrija, the Institute for Public Health in Nova Gorica and the Slovenian Water Institute; on the Italian side, they were the Province of Gorizia, the Municipality of Turjak, the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the Autorità di Bacino in Venice.