Call: Center for the Promotion of Science

Period: 2025-2027.

Project leader: Dr. Marko Mirč, Department of Evolutionary Biology IBISS

Participants from IBISS:
Dr. Tanja Vukov, Department of Evolutionary Biology
Dr. Nataša Tomašević Kolarov, Department of Evolutionary Biology
Dr. Katarina Ljubisavljević, Department of Evolutionary Biology
Dr. Margareta Kračun Kolarević, Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection
Dr. Stoimir Kolarević, Department of Hydroecology and Water Protection

External advisors:
MSc. Marija Dabić Mirč, Fifth Belgrade Gymnasium
MSc. Dragana Grujić, Valjevo Gymnasium
MSc. Jasna Jovanov, Institution for Nature Reserves Zrenjanin
Ljubica Bulatović, Researchers’ Association "Vladimir Mandić Manda"

Abstract

Urban wetlands are a vital part of urban ecosystems, essential for filtering water, mitigating floods, supporting biodiversity, sequestering carbon, and regulating local climate, thus making cities healthier places to live. They also provide aesthetic, educational, recreational, and cultural benefits. Despite their incredible value, urban wetlands are polluted, degraded, and their conservation is often unregulated, forcing people to live in unhealthy environments. CSI:AQUA aims to address this challenge in collaboration with local communities by transforming individuals from passive observers to active stewards of urban wetlands. Participants will acquire knowledge and skills to monitor and document ecosystem health, understand water chemistry, assess pollution, and identify ecosystem services that fluctuate with pollution levels. By engaging with scientists, educators, nature enthusiasts, and conservation advocates, participants will be empowered to take meaningful actions, ensuring the preservation of urban wetlands.