On November 13th, experts and municipal authorities gathered at the City Hall of Donostia (Basque Country) to discuss the progress, results, and new milestones of the CityPoll project. The working session included the presence of professionals such as Ana Juaristi, Head of the Environmental Health and Sustainability Service; Asun Yarzabal, Head of the Biodiversity and Environmental Quality Section; Fernando Pérez, Head of the Sanitation and Water Service; Juantxo Marrero, Director of Health and Environment at the Donostia City Council. Additionally, Arturo Elosegi, Maite Arroita, Miren Ioar de Guzmán, and Julene González from the University of the Basque Country (EHU), as well as Oriol Gutiérrez and Sergi Sabater from the Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), joined the discussion.

EHU researchers described the fieldwork conducted in various urban river systems, including the selective irrigation carried out with the assistance of firefighters, and the subsequent analysis of collected samples through ICRA and UB.

ICRA described the capabilities of the multidisciplinary team involved in the project and proposed the development of a modelling exercise in the city of Donostia. The steps to integrate this project with the Sanitation and Water Service were discussed.

This event underscores the importance of collaboration between academic and governmental institutions to effectively address urban environmental challenges, emphasizing common interests in nature-based solutions (NBS).