representing a saving of €271,000 and avoiding the emission of 719 tonnes of CO2. Overall, many of the organisational and technical instruments are transferable to other municipal authorities dealing with water under similar technical and climatic circumstances to Porto. The project also very clearly shows that progressive actions towards sustainability do not have to be too complex. It is about the identification of priorities and the focus on these priorities. And the results in Porto – less water loss and for instance better quality of bathing water – are also affecting the everyday life of citizens. Solving obvious problems in the field of water can in this respect be a priority of many sustainability initiatives in the South of Europe. Searching for alternative financing for biodiversity projects by involving a broader public and cooperating with schools and universities The afforestation project More Forest for More Life, from the County Council of Arad – a county located in the North-West of Romania – is based on local interinstitutional partnership between organisations involved in environment protection in the administration of the ‘Arad county’ where the programme is managed. It is a striking example of a ‘down to earth’ approach in the field of sustainability and very different from complex and comprehensive sustainability strategies. The core element is a close cooperation between public administration and civil society. The innovation lies in the setting up of an impressive project without funding. The project relies entirely on voluntary actions and sponsorship and it was implemented during spring and autumn of the years 2008-2010 and will remain in operation until 2015. The main objectives have so far been impressively met: since there is a lack of financial resources for afforestation projects, the idea is to achieve maximum results with minimum costs in order to very concretely improve the quality of life in the Arad County by enlarging the forest areas. So far, a total of 1025 participants (students, volunteers, individuals and employees from the partner organisations) were involved in the afforestation and forest sanitation activities between 2008 and 2010. An average of 60 volunteers were available every day during the plantation period of spring and autumn. The volunteers belong to local partner organisations: rural and urban local public administration, Arad Forestry District, Regional Environmental Protection Agency, Association EDUCATIO Arad and high schools with a forestry profile from the Arad County. In this respect, the project is a good example of how to create real win-win situations. By involving schools and other educational institutions, the project is not only an important step in the field of biodiversity, but also a major step for the County in the field of environmental education. By applying the volunteer scheme on a very broad scale, the project aims at increasing respect for the concept of biodiversity, sustainability and sustainable development. Very different from other rather abstract sustainability debates, by being involved in the sustainable management of forests, children and students get the opportunity to not only learn but also experience the concept. It is obvious that the approach is transferable to other administrations.
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