Rijeka mobilises students and divers to re-value its waterfront

Rijeka’s coastline became a powerful site of community action on 3-4 October 2025 as more than 230 students, volunteers, and divers from Croatia and Slovenia joined the two-day initiative “The Sea Connects – #EUBeachCleanup Rijeka 2025” at Preluk. In just 48 hours, participants removed over 5 cubic meters of waste from the shore and seabed, making a visible contribution to the health and resilience of the city’s marine environment.

Organised by EUROPE DIRECT Rijeka, the City of Rijeka, the Association of Special Police “Ajkula” and the Re-Value project, the cleanup is an example of how cities can activate their communities to protect and restore coastal ecosystems.

On the first day, more than 70 students from the Waldorf primary and secondary schools, together with 30 volunteers, cleared 380 kilograms of litter from the shoreline, ranging from plastics and cigarette butts to tyres and parts of furniture. The second day brought more than 75 divers supported by 50 volunteers on land and in boats. From the seabed, they retrieved tyres, fishing gear, metal structures, buckets, and even mobile phones. This waste harms marine habitats and threatens the resilience of waterfront ecosystems.

Connecting Local Action to the “Re-Value Your Waterfront” Vision

This environmental action directly reflects the goals of the Re-Value Your Waterfront campaign, which encourages cities to reconnect with their coastlines through community stewardship, ecological care, and climate-sensitive design. By mobilising citizens of all ages, improving coastal conditions, and raising awareness about the pressures facing blue ecosystems, the action demonstrates how waterfronts can become living laboratories for resilience.

The cleanup also highlights key principles of the campaign:

Restore: Removing waste improves water quality and supports marine biodiversity.
Reconnect: Citizens gain a renewed sense of ownership and emotional connection to the sea.
Reimagine: Such actions open discussions on how urban waterfronts can integrate Nature-based Solutions and become healthier, more accessible spaces for all.

A European Mission Rooted in Local Hands

As part of the Re-Value project, Rijeka is rethinking its waterfront as a climate-neutral, inclusive, and community-driven space. The #EUBeachCleanup shows that meaningful transformation begins with hands-on action and people who care. The event proved that for Rijeka the sea truly connects.

About Rijeka

Rijeka is one of Re-Value’s pilot cities, focused on transforming its post-industrial waterfront through climate-sensitive regeneration, community participation, and green-blue infrastructure. The city’s efforts aim to reconnect citizens with the sea while advancing a just transition toward climate neutrality.