PROMOTING TARGET GROUPS’ RECEPTIVITY, making contact at the start of the project to involve them in its development.

Entity responsible: Granada Provincial Council. Department of the Environment.

NOTICE BOARDS WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT, at the Town Halls included in the project’s area of action (Iznalloz, Deifontes and Albolote) as well as at the headquarters of the Granada Provincial Council.

Entity responsible: Granada Provincial Council. Department of the Environment.

ORGANISING OPEN DAYS WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT, as a means of disseminating information about the project and the progress being made. This is scheduled to take place in the second and third year of the project.

Entity responsible: Granada Provincial Council. Department of the Environment.  

REGULAR SCIENTIFIC-TECHNICAL NEWSLETTERS, compiling the project's scientific and technical advances to be distributed among the scientific community (see DOWNLOADS).

Entity responsible: University of Granada. Water Institute.  

CREATING NETWORKS WITH OTHER PROJECTS, to inform about the activities being carried out, involving the largest possible number of recipients and disseminating the obtained results. In this way, the validated technologies and acquired knowledge can be transferred to other areas, thus extending their practical application to other parts of Spain and the rest of Europe.

Entity responsible: Granada Provincial Council. Department of the Environment.  

COMMUNICATION PLAN AFTER THE PROJECT, with the purpose of informing the general public of the results obtained in the project, and the identified target groups in particular.

Entity responsible: Granada Provincial Council. Department of the Environment.

• ACCIÓN “GESTIÓN DEL PROYECTO”
• ACCIÓN “SUPERVISIÓN DEL DESARROLLO DEL PROYECTO”.
• ACCIÓN “RECOPILACIÓN DE PERMISOS Y AUTORIZACIONES.
• ACCIÓN “FORMACIÓN DE LOS SOCIOS BENEFICIARIOS.
• ACCIÓN “REALIZACIÓN DE AUDITORÍA FINAL DEL PROYECTO”

MEASUREMENT AND MONITORING OF RESULTS.

Entity responsible: University of Granada. Water Institute.  

Description of action:

The following aspects are monitored in all the installed plant filters:

1. The physical-chemical pollution of the water, before and after passing through the filters set up on the plots of land: measurement of BOD5 (biological oxygen demand), COD (chemical oxygen demand), SS (suspended solids), Nitrate, Ntotal (total nitrogen), Phosphate and Ptotal (total phosphorous), to verify their degree of reduction.
2. The microbial population in the plant filters: microbiological control of the water and soil to determine the presence of microorganisms with the necessary denitrifying capacity to eliminate nitrogen from the water.
3. The production of gases through the denitrification process, measuring the N2O gas and the evolution of the agronomic parameters.

The results of these measurements will be compared with those obtained in the witness plots, with similar characteristics, in which no filters have been installed, thus verifying the system’s degree of effectiveness.

MONITORING AND CONTROL LOG BOOK FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPTIMISATION OF THE PLANT FILTERS.

Entity responsible: Paisajes del Sur SL

Description of action:

With the help of a monitoring and control log book, maintenance work on the plant filters is supervised, making any necessary suggestions for the upkeep of the installations and vegetation.

QUANTIFICATION OF THE ENVIRONMENAL AND ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF THE APPLIED MODEL.

Entity responsible: Paisajes del Sur, SL.

Description of action:

The use of sub-products and plant remains to make the filters, the increased biomass produced in the soil and the reduced erosion will cause the productive capacity of the soil in the area of action to be maintained, and so prevent the loss of its fertile layer.

Within this framework, a list of practical field tasks is drawn up, quantifying the labour required, as well as the natural resources used as products or sub-products, with an estimation of the generated biomass and the reduction in erosion.

COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF THE SYSTEM TO ESTABLISH ITS EFFICIENCY.

Entity responsible: University of Granada. Water Institute.  

Description of action:

The cost efficiency is evaluated, with an economic assessment of the benefits offered by the installation of plant filters as opposed to the alternative of not doing anything.

The methodology used is as follows:

1. Measure the real effectiveness as regards the reduction in nitrogen through the plant filters.
2. Assess the cost of their construction, bearing in mind the installations’ expected useful life.
3. Calculate the cost entailed in the aspired reduction in fertilisers through preventive activities, using the IT tool as a guide for dosage.
4. Financially calculate the intangible benefits of implementing the system, with regard to improving environmental conditions.

VOLUNTARY AGREEMENTS WITH INTERESTED FARMERS TO ADOPT GOOD FERTILISING PRACTICES.

Entity responsible: Granada Provincial Council. Department of the Environment.

Description of action:

Voluntary agreements with owners and farmers who are interested in getting involved in the project and adopting good environmental practices on their land, in order to reduce the amount of nitrogen in surface waters, through the implementation of the system and subsequently monitoring the results after the change in practice.

IT TOOL TO OPTIMISE FERTILISING AND IRRIGATION CONDITIONS.

Entity responsible: Granada Provincial Council. Department of the Environment.

Description of action:

An IT tool that will enable farmers to adjust the amount of irrigation and fertiliser according to environmental conditions. It aims to reduce the amount of nitrates reaching surface waters in two ways: preventing an excess of nitrogen fertiliser in the land, and reducing excess irrigation, which can increase the leaching of nitrates, making them more mobile towards the courses of surface waters.

To guarantee effective application, their selection is accompanied by on-site guidance and advice activities in the different farms and agricultural estates in the zone of action.

TECHNICAL TRAINING FOR THE AGENTS INVOLVED FROM THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.

Entity responsible: University of Granada. Water Institute.  

Description of action:

The objective of this action is to convey certain scientific concepts to people who, in many cases, have no basic knowledge of this kind, an aspect which motivates them to participate in the project to a greater extent.

Information and training activities are carried out aimed at reducing the levels of nitrate in water, and dealing with the proposed technology, improvements in the quality of water, existing legislation on this matter, and the results expected from the project.

GUIDES RESULTING FROM THE PROJECT.

Entity responsible: Granada Provincial Council. Department of the Environment / Paisajes del Sur SL / University of Granada. Water Institute.

Description of action:

The publication of different practical guides aimed at informing people about aspects such as the installation and maintenance of plant filters, how to manage fertilisers, and applicable legislation on this matter.