RiuNet is an interactive education tool that will guide any citizen for assessing the hydrological and ecological status of a river. Moreover, it will provide scientific data to members of the Freshwater Ecology and Management (FEM) Research Group of the University of Barcelona.

These data are useful to elaborate maps of the quality of rivers. The new version of RiuNet includes hydrological features such as the identification of the current aquatic phase of the river, classification of the river’s hydrological regime, and the hydrological status assessment. Also, there is a new module with “other data” for: 1) Identifying the social, cultural, or economic value of the river; 2) option to add physicochemical and biodiversity data, or others.

What will the citizens achieve using the RiuNet app?

• Learn how rivers work and about the organisms that live in them.
• Assess the quality of a river, and measuring its hydrological and ecological status.
• Provide data to both researchers and stakeholders, helping to improve management and conservation of the river.
• Above all, have fun doing it!

RiuNet is an application developed by FEM Research Group of the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences of the University of Barcelona in collaboration with the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research IDAEA-CSIC, Catalan Water Agency (ACA), Júcar Water Agency (CHJ).

This version has been developed and funded by the +LIFE TRIVERS LIFE13 ENV/ES/000341 project. Previous versions have been cofounded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and the support of RecerCaixa and Barcelona City Council.