On Friday, 13 September, the grand opening of the new footpath along the River Pivka took place. The footpath runs from Vilharjeva Street to the vicinity of the car park at Postojna Cave. It was built as part of the project “Green Infrastructure, Conservation and Improvement of the Status of Endangered Species and Habitat Types along Rivers”, or GREVISLIN for short. The River Pivka is a typical Karst river that disappears underground, and the footpath is situated within its floodplain. Areas that are occasionally flooded are not suitable for intensive cultivation. Consequently, these areas are characterised by conditions that are favourable for the development of habitat types and species, particularly those adapted to occasional flooding. The footpath will direct visitors in a controlled manner to areas where there will be no negative impact on habitats and endangered species.
The project is co-funded by the Interreg Italy–Slovenia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme. One of the 14 partners, representing both countries, is the Slovenian Water Institute. The main objective of the GREVISLIN project is to develop a sustainable cross-border area with a clear long-term strategy for development and protection in the field of green infrastructure management, improving the condition of natural communities and habitats, and raising awareness among target groups.
The Water Institute’s role in the project is to coordinate and lead the work package responsible for drawing up the Long-term Cross-border Plan for the Development and Protection of Green Infrastructure on the Soča, Vipava and Livenza rivers. Seven activities are planned within this work package. The first three are currently underway this year: a review of existing data and a gap analysis, an inventory of green infrastructure in the cross-border area in question, and an analysis of pressures and impacts. Over the next two years, the activities will be carried out in such a way that, by the end of the project, a proposal for priority measures for the development of green infrastructure will be drawn up.
Image source: Postojna Municipality website
