The Kerava River of Our Dreams – A Shared Vision for the Municipalities

Representatives from the municipal councils, environmentaland municipal development committees, as well as local MPs and business owners, and representatives from the Uusimaa Regional Council, the Uusimaa Centre for Vitality and the Central Uusimaa Environment Centre. The ‘Get the Kerava River in Shape!’ project is led by the Vantaa River and Helsinki Region Water Protection Association, and the event was organised in collaboration with the City of Kerava.

The Kerava River at the heart of it all

Kirsi Rontu, Mayor of Kerava, opened the event and welcomed the guests to Kerava Manor. Cooperation to develop the Keravanjoki area began when the Vantaanjoki and Helsinki Region Water Protection Association asked Rontu to chair the steering group for the ‘Let’s Revitalise the Kerava River!’ project.

The message from the project and Ronnu is that all the municipalities in the Kerava River catchment area should share a common vision of the Kerava River of their dreams, which all residents within the catchment area can enjoy.

– To turn the Kerava River into a destination that even our grandchildren can enjoy, we need a river community comprising elected representatives, local and national authorities, experts from various organisations and businesses in the sector, Rontu emphasised.

The Minister for the Environment and Climate Change as the project’s patron

Sari Multala, Minister for the Environment and Climate, sent a video message to the event in which she explained how the government is taking a range of measures to restore watercourses. The Kerava River flows through six municipalities, which is why its restoration requires cross-sectoral cooperation.

– The Kerava River plays an important role in recreational use, and restoring the river will boost the appeal of the local area, Multala summarised, adding that he was delighted to be acting as a patron for the ‘Let’s Get the Kerava River Back on Track!’ project.

Let’s all get involved in this joint project

Oula Tolvanen, known as the ‘river keeper’, from the Vantaa River and Helsinki Region Water Protection Association, spoke at the event, in which he spoke of his passion for the Keravan River and, in particular, for improving the living conditions of migratory fish.

Tolvanen reckoned that many people considered the water quality of the Kerava River to be poor. However, the Kerava River has enormous potential both as a recreational area and as a fish migration route, which is why it is important that all decision-makers get on board with the joint Kerava River project.

The Keravanjoki of the Future – living, working and leisure

In his speech, Kimmo Rönkä, an expert on the future of housing, approached the Kerava River project from the perspective of a vision for the future and gave decision-makers plenty to think about. If we are to be able to act effectively in the future, we must act correctly now.

Rönkä emphasised that the future is not built by simply continuing with the past; rather, we need change and new concepts. Biodiversity is of paramount importance from the perspective of future living, and we must work systematically to promote it.

– A single municipality cannot decide the future of the Kerava River; it requires a partnership of municipalities, Rönkä emphasised.

What happens next?

Samuli Isola, Chair of Kerava’s Urban Environment Committee, led the invited guests in a discussion on the role of elected representatives in promoting cooperation, which plays a key role in water protection. According to Isola, we need a joint roadmap for the development of the Kerava River, which will be taken forward in institutional bodies and plans.

In her speech, Merja Vikman-Kanerva, Chair of the Central Uusimaa Environment Committee, emphasised that the planning of riverbank areas is a key factor in improving the water quality of the Kerava River.

Municipal planning processes require close cooperation between planning and environmental authorities, as well as due consideration of natural values. The impact is also influenced by how local authorities take into account construction on the banks of watercourses in their building regulations and environmental protection regulations.

The discussions highlighted a strong desire among neighbouring municipalities and various stakeholders to strengthen their cooperation. For example, Tuija Reinikainen, Chair of Tuusula Municipal Council, considered it extremely important that Tuusula Municipality is actively involved in the development of the Kerava River.

The programme for the ‘Let’s Fix the Kerava River!’ event was streamed live, and the recording will be available to watch online for two weeks from the date of the event.

Planning for cooperation between the municipalities in the Keravanjoki catchment area to restore the river continues as part of the ‘Let’s Revitalise the Kerava River!’ project. Further information on the ‘Let’s Revitalise the Kerava River!’ project can be found on the Water Protection Association’s website. The project has received a grant from the Uusimaa Centre for Vitality for the years 2025–2027.

This content has been translated using AI