Waste in nature is an issue that concerns all of us and it is our shared responsibility to protect our lakes, rivers, and seas. Kayaking is a sport that is environmentally friendly and does not harm the environment and does not pollute as boats, also everyone can practice.
Organizations across sectors increasingly perceive value in becoming environmentally sustainable organizations. This often comes in the broader context of environmental management. Unfortunately, professional sport clubs lag behind organizations in other sectors regarding environmental and sustainable management and awareness.
With the Green Kayak Clubs Project, we want to raise awareness of the deep connection between the environment and water sports, creating long-lasting green attitudes in youth and young professionals members of already green sports, such as kayak and canoeing. Project partner countries are Croatia, Greece, Serbia, and North Macedonia. Starting from the outcomes of the Green Kayak project, we decided to continue with a new methodology and approach while creating the project “Green Kayak Clubs”. This project aims to test the potential of the kayak sport sector as a water sport and outdoor activity, to be a channel for the societal behavioral change needed for decreasing the environmental footprint of the kayak sport clubs and contributing fully toward the EU work Plan for sport 2021 -2024 by focusing on good governance so that sport leaders have the knowledge and skills to place environmental sustainability at the heart of their clubs’ strategies.
The cooperation with kayak organizations and the creation of a project in green field is an attempt to tackle two challenges:
- raising awareness among youth and the general population of how healthy kayaking/ canoeing as a water sport is including the focus on “we have to protect nature”, thus this project intends to teach youngsters how to protect the environment with cleaning actions but also with a daily “green” behavior.
- working with kayak sport clubs and their members on how to participate in the circular economy while they do a sport as well as to create daily life routines and change their behaviors toward sustainability and the environment.