Anna Scaini, a researcher affiliated with the Bolin Centre, leads a pioneering project titled "Putting locals first: mapping cultural values across rivers of the world" aimed to address this very issue.

At the core of Anna's project is the Tagliamento River, valued as the last Alpine free-flowing river. Collaborating with WWF Germany and the Centre for Oceanography and Geophysics in Italy, Anna's initiative is supported by funding from the Germany Postcode Lottery.

The project aims to evaluate proxies of socio-cultural services provided by rivers, with a focus on mapping locals' favourite spots along the Tagliamento River. By quantifying intangible cultural values, Anna seeks to illuminate how these values influence water resource management and decision-making processes.

Utilizing questionnaires and participatory mapping techniques, Anna will measure perceptions of river-related risks and cultural ecosystem services. By comparing observed values with mapped insights, novel proxies will be tested to indicate riverine cultural values applicable worldwide.

This multidisciplinary approach not only addresses the immediate concerns of river conservation but also delves into broader societal issues such as flood and drought management, land use impacts, and transboundary water issues. Anna's research highlights the intricate interplay between climate change, land/water use, and the conservation strategies necessary for sustainable river management.

The insights from this project offer valuable guidance for integrating cultural values into global river management frameworks. They apply to diverse issues such as flood and drought management, land use impacts, and transboundary water concerns. This underscores the significance of community engagement in environmental conservation, paving the path towards a sustainable future.

Additionally, the Tagliamento website (www.tagliamento.org) serves as one of the sides of the project. The website was designed to collect the special values of the Tagliamento river. We used three simplified terms that are easy to understand for all users: nature, community and morphology. Of course, these are terms that simplify the intertwined system that is the river landscape! Here, the categories become testimonies, shapes and ecosystems, which are intertwined and together bring forward the Tagliamento river. Furthermore, preparations are underway to apply the Tagliamento as a water-oriented living lab, which Anna will also coordinate.