Students often perceive a gap between what is learned at school and what is relevant in the workplace or to understand the world around. Therefore the acquisition of knowledge and competencies linked to the reality is crucial, to increase their interest and fascination but also to help them to make a choice of educational pathways or facilitate their entrance into the labour market.

Due to the increase of extreme climate events connected to climate change, our cities increasingly face dramatic events such floods, that are also exacerbated by an unsustainable land use planning and soil sealing. For instance, many of the rivers that once flowed naturally through European cities have been covered over, or culverted – creating “hidden” waterways that are part of the urban drainage system, but now flow underground beneath paved streets or other urban structures. The environmental consequences of such culverting include flooding hazards, loss of biodiversity and ecological vitality, and intensified urban heating but also the deprivation for city’s residents of the valuable social and economic benefits associated with riverside parkland, such as opportunities for recreation and tourism amenities.

DAYLIGHTING RIVERS offers materials for a learning process that addresses the understanding of river systems through scientific investigations, including hands-on activities or using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in a variety of school subjects (e.g. science, geography, biology, chemistry, botany, soil and water science, and economics). The activities are designed to raise environmental awareness on the importance of preserving soil and rivers under pressure from urbanisation.