This is a project that aims to revitalize the riverside corridor of the Arunca River, restoring its function as a space for health, social interaction, and closeness to nature.
The riverside corridor of the Arunca River is more than just a path. It's our place to breathe, slow down, and reconnect with nature: where families stroll, where the elderly walk serenely, where children discover—and where the otters have returned, a sign that the Arunca still has much to offer.
But today the corridor is wounded. Recent storms have felled over a hundred trees, damaged walkways, and eroded riverbanks, compromising safety and access to a space that belongs to everyone. In the heart of the urban area, a section of paved wall gave way to the force of the water and collapsed. Along its 9 km, significant damage has been recorded, caused by extreme winds and abnormally high water levels, resulting in soil erosion and slope instability. We need to rebuild—better than before, stronger, and more prepared for the future.
To achieve this, we will act on three complementary fronts:
1) Riverside Corridor — safety, resilience and access
We will rebuild the damaged sections and reinforce the banks using natural engineering techniques, prioritizing low-impact and highly effective solutions: hygrophilous vegetation on slopes and banks, live stakes with native species, and preparation/selection of tree and shrub material for stabilization. Where piping already exists, we will install drinking fountains for walkers, cyclists, pets, and wildlife. In critical sanitation areas, we will lower/anchor covers to prevent openings during flood periods and protect the river and public health.
2) Arunca Garden — Biodiversity Station
At the start of the route, the existing garden will be converted into a Biodiversity Station, without major construction and with ecological maintenance. We will replace the meadow with native plants that feed pollinators and birds, adjust paths to protect the roots, and integrate trunks, stones, and dead wood as shelter for species. Where there is asphalt today, there will be green. It will be a living space to learn about and observe nature, bringing schools, families, and visitors closer together.
3) Recreation Park — playing in nature, with nature
At the end of the walkway, we will create a children's area and a fitness area. In the playground, floor games and equipment suitable for various ages are organized with clear safety zones and gentle paths for accompanying adults — a place where playing, learning, and growing happen hand in hand, with nature inspiring every discovery. In the fitness area, a training circuit with strength, balance, and stretching stations invites outdoor training at any pace — a space where movement, health, and social interaction go hand in hand, and where the landscape helps to recharge for the day.
Because your support matters. Every contribution brings us closer to the full reopening of the trail and returns to the community a vibrant, safe, and inspiring space. Your gesture translates into greater health and well-being for those who walk or cycle outdoors, a stronger connection between city and nature, and reinforced habitats and more resilient riverbanks in a time of extreme events. We will act transparently: the funds will directly support the priority actions in these three areas—from structural recovery to ecological and educational improvement—so that the Arunca River can once again become a vibrant hub of the territory.
Every meter restored is a gesture of care. With your support, we transform damage into resilience and a broken corridor into a connection that unites people and nature. Help us return Arunca to the community — safer, greener, and more inspiring. Shall we do it together?
O corredor ribeirinho sofreu diversos danos ao longo dos seus 9km.
About the author
The Municipality of Pombal is the entity responsible for the creation, management, and continuous enhancement of the Arunca River riverside corridor, a leisure infrastructure that brings the community closer to its natural heritage. Initially smaller in length, the corridor has been strategically expanded, following the course of the river and strengthening the relationship between the territory, nature, and the population.
Given that the Arunca River is the main waterway crossing the municipality and the city of Pombal, the Municipality envisions the construction of a continuous ecological corridor, capable of following the Arunca from its source to its confluence with the Mondego River. This objective reflects a clear commitment to sustainable mobility, biodiversity preservation, climate adaptation, and the promotion of people's well-being.
With strong experience in managing green infrastructure and implementing environmental and community projects, the Municipality of Pombal positions itself as a solid, experienced promoter deeply committed to creating sustainable, accessible, and beneficial solutions for the entire population. This project represents another decisive step in building a more resilient, healthy territory connected to nature.
As margens do Rio Arunca também sofreram diversos danos.
Budget and due dates
The rehabilitation of the Arunca River riverside corridor is organized into three interconnected phases — Recovery, Adaptation, and Creation — with the possibility of concurrent execution whenever licenses, supplies, and financing allow. The transition between phases will depend on financial availability and the technical and environmental compatibility of each work front.
Phase 1 — Recovery of the Riverside Corridor
Duration: up to 10 months · Budget: €650,000
- Preliminary studies and diagnoses (damage assessment, bank stability, ecological impacts) — €35,000
- Removal of fallen trees, selective cleaning and stabilization of riverbanks (safety and preservation) — €100,000
- Riverbank rehabilitation using natural engineering (riparian ecosystem stability) — €140,000
- Rehabilitation of corridor sections (reconstruction of pavements, walkways and observation points) — €225,000
- Installation of drinking fountains (for people/wildlife, utilizing the existing network) — €25,000
- Intervention in the sewage network (lowering/anchoring of manhole covers to prevent openings during floods) — €125,000
Key milestones: a new, continuous and safe riverside waterway; operational water points; mitigation of health and environmental risks during floods.
Phase 2 — Adaptation of the Arunca Garden into a Biodiversity Station
Duration: up to 6 months · Budget: €140,000
- Land preparation and waterproofing (removal of tar/pavements, fine modeling, soil improvement) — €24,500
- Adaptation of pathways (permeable paths, borders and small walkways) — €90,000
- Planting of native species (shrubs, herbaceous plants/bulbs, biodiverse meadow) — €18,000
- Environmental education/participation (creation of shelters and awareness-raising activities) — €7,500
Key milestones: garden converted into a learning and observation station; increased habitat and ecological connectivity; ecological maintenance without pesticides.
Phase 3 — Recreation Park (Children's Playground + Fitness Area)
Duration: 6 months · Budget: €45,000
- Land preparation and basic drainage (shaping, slopes, runoff and site layout) — €16,000
- Installation of children's and fitness equipment (compact kits with assembly and anchors) — €24,000
- Essential signage and street furniture (benches and amenities) — €5,000
Key features: terminal area of the corridor designed for play, exercise and social interaction; increased community value of the rehabilitated space.
With this strategy, we recover what has been damaged, increase the resilience and ecological quality of the riverbanks, and create new uses that strengthen the connection between city and nature. The proposed investment restores to the Arunca River a safe, vibrant, and educational route, ready to welcome families, schools, athletes, and visitors.
