3rd Aquawareness Stakeholder meeting enriched by
Water for Integration – Integration for Water
The 3rd Aquawareness stakeholder meeting received input by the European Workshop “Water for Integration – Integration for Water” organized by the Institute for Social-Ecological Research (ISOE) in cooperation with European Partnership (EWP) in Brussels.
Participants from science, European institutions, research funding agencies and the private sector discussed the requirements and barriers of integrated water research and concluded on how these challenges can be addressed in future and how to facilitate an open exchange between science and policy.
They called on politicians to force integrated research in the water sector, on researchers for launching joint initiatives and for looking behind the water cycle as Thomas Kluge from the ISOE pointed out in his closing remark.
With regard to policy, the discussion revealed the urgent needs for strengthening adequate funding schemes or joint calls for integrated research; transparent quality criteria; an intermediate platform between science, decision makers and stakeholders; and taking account for already existing knowledge and better knowledge sharing.
For more information about the workshop visit www.isoe.de/veranst/waterws09.
About Aquawareness
Aquawareness® is a voluntary programme initiated by the European Water Partnership in 2007 (launched in the European Parliament in 2008).
Within its Water Awareness and Water Stewardship Programmes, it aims to create a common vision for water in Europe with widely accepted principles for sustainable water management; set sights on changing behaviour and practices; shape and integrate water into policy and strategy agendas; create a water saving and efficiency culture among private, industrial, business and agricultural users; support the shift from supply to demand management through information, education and training.
According to a press release, “Aquawarness sets the strategy and concrete steps to achieve the Water Vision for Europe, a series of ten points which we all will be able to state in 2030 if we succeed in achieving sustainable water management.”
Since 2008 several activities were pursued – regional workshops throughout Europe gave an insight into the regional priorities, challenges and solutions Europe’s water is facing. These findings were presented globally during the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul in March this year.
In October 2008 the EWP started a strategic policy review process in a multi stakeholder approach to identify the major strengths and weaknesses as well as key actions needed to implement the Vision aims by 2030. The findings of this process will be presented in January 2010 during the Aquawareness Policy Forum.
For more information visit the EWP website www.ewp.eu.
Posted October 2009