The Intermunicipal Community of Cávado, is a Public Entity of associative nature, of public law and general purposes, constituted by the municipalities of Amares, Braga, Barcelos, Esposende, Terras de Bouro and Vila Verde, constituting the NUT III of Cávado, based in Braga.

NUT III Cávado is a territorial subspace, structured by the Cávado River basin that develops in the Southwest and Northeast direction, through the territories of the six municipalities mentioned above, and by the most relevant tributary, the Homem River, bordering the SW and the sea. Galicia to the NE. It is a very heterogeneous territory, integrating very rural counties along the coast, even very rural mountain counties in the upper part of the NUT, passing through very urban and dense counties such as Braga. With a total area of ​​1245.8 km2, it comprises 170 parishes, comprising in 2017 a resident population of 403 thousand people.

From a legal point of view, CIM do Cávado was created under Law 45/2008 of 27 August, having been constituted by public deed granted on 30 October 2008, and later reframed by Law 75/2013 of 12 September , which determined a new legal framework, giving CIMs new perspectives on statutory competences.

CIM Cávado's mission and objectives are to combine, promote and articulate common interests to its associated Municipalities, in the area of ​​community outreach services, and municipal investments in different areas, namely at the level:

a) Promotion of the planning and management of the economic, social and environmental development strategy of the territory covered;

b) Management of programs to support regional development, namely within the framework of existing Community Frameworks;

c) Promotion and coordination of municipal investments of intermunicipal interest;

d) Planning the actions of public entities, of a supramunicipal character.

Among the various areas of action in which CIM Cávado operates, the area of ​​Environment and sustainable development is one of the areas of great performance, both from the point of view of developing studies for the territory as targeted awareness-raising initiatives and promotion of research projects. sustainable development.

Examples of these projects are:

- Intermunicipal Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change of the NIT III Cávado - Study developed in collaboration with the Municipalities of Cávado, which resulted in a set of diagnosis of vulnerabilities in the territory to climate change, with the identification of measures and options for adaptation and mitigation for the defined in an action plan.

- AQUA Cávado Project: the river that unites us: an environmental awareness project aimed at the conservation and preservation of the Cávado and Homem rivers, on its banks and resources, rivers that cross the territory of NUT III Cávado. This project includes a set of different actions to raise awareness for different target audiences, taking place every year between World Water Day and National Water Day: March 23 - October 1.

- The ECOVIA CÁVADO HOMEM project: a project promoted by CIM Cávado, with the objective of promoting smooth and sustainable mobility throughout its territory by promoting the use of bicycles, taking advantage of the urographic and geographical conditions of the territory of NUT III Cávado , joining the Sea to the mountain, two parks, the Litoral Norte Natural Park at the Gates of the Peneda Gerês National Park, and allowing the enjoyment and connection of the banks of the Cávado and Homem Rivers, thus uniting the territories.