Coimbra region to spend €2.6m fighting invasive water plant

The Coimbra Metropolitan Area will invest €2.6 million over five years to prevent, detect and control the invasive plant ludwigia along rivers and streams in its 19 municipalities. The Life Ludwigia project, presented in Góis, is funded mostly by the EU (€1.56 million), with municipalities covering the rest. The plant has already been found in Figueira da Foz, Montemor-o-Velho, Arganil and Tábua, damaging recreational and nautical uses of waterways. The scheme, involving the APA, ICNF, and the universities of Coimbra, will deploy three field teams, biosecurity units and a native plant nursery in Montemor-o-Velho.