OAFI (Observatorio AgroFluvial O Incio) is a Living Lab where local residents, researchers, and administration unite to learn about, protect, and nurture the natural environment that defines O Incio, including its forests, streams, ponds, and cultivated lands. This mission has high international relevance because O Incio exemplifies the challenges faced by similar agricultural areas in temperate Europe: the conservation of mature, high-conservation-value forests, land-use abandonment with the subsequent increased afforestation, and the intensification of remnant agricultural practices.
By employing an integrative zoological approach to census biodiversity in the terrestrial-aquatic interface, OAFI aims to provide critical insights into how human activities affect local biodiversity, water quality, and disease risks associated with aquatic environments. Like veins weaving through the body, streams thread across the land, carrying life and vitality but also challenges when not managed properly. Freshwaters are amongst the most human-altered ecosystems around the world.
Besides advancing scientific understanding and environmental stewardship, OAFI strives to be a vital strategic asset for O Incio, equipping local leadership with the knowledge and tools necessary to safeguard its natural heritage and drive a sustainable development that benefits current and future generations.
Under construction