Related EU Projects

The BeWater project, supported by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme, offered a unique opportunity to contribute to adaptation policy design and practices with experience-based knowledge. Four research institutes located in the cardinal points of the Mediterranean region partnered with expert organisations and members of the local communities to elaborate local adaptive water management plans. Innovative approaches were developed within the project to facilitate a truly science-society collaborative process to increase societal resilience to climate variability and change at the river basin scale.

The BeWater project provided innovative tools to facilitate the adaptation of river basins to global change via an active engagement of the local societies. The BeWater approach developed within the project focussed on creating a shared definition of what challenges needed to be targeted in the basin and then developing, assessing and prioritising a range of potential water management options to address these points along with pathways for their implementation. Four Mediterranean basins were part of the project, namely Pedieos (Cyprus), Vipava (Slovenia), Rmel (Tunisia) and Tordera (Catalonia, Spain). While each basin experienced the process slightly differently, all shared the common aim of introducing adaptation principles into water management at the river basin scale with stakeholder participation all along the process.

Adaptive management poses challenging questions that need to be tackled through methods and practices that have a solid theoretical framework but are still to be integrated into ordinary management procedures and policy design. Knowledge sharing and mutual learning between scientists, experts, decision-makers and local society have provided the needed basis for a truly participatory approach, offering a solid ground for capacity building, awareness raising and the development of concrete proposals in the form of adaptation plans for the four river basins. The process of co-production has proven to be able to deliver results with a high degree of social acceptance, political relevance and technical interest to tackle the uncertainties and complex nature of global change.

Throughout the design of the adaptation plans, common aspects, together with barriers and facilitators of their future implementation were observed. A handbook which provides guidelines on policy and practical considerations from the process was developed. The project may be considered as a strong reference for developing a participatory approach when designing river basin adaptation plans in other river basins, in Mediterranean countries and beyond.

Adaptation Plans:

Vipava River Basin Adaptation Plan

Tordera River Basin Adaptation Plan

Rmel River Basin Adaptation Plan

Pedieos River Basin Adaptation Plan

Handbook:

Developing Participatory Adaptation Plans for River Basins - a handbook

Policy Briefs:

Planning for climate change: Society as a key player in river basin adaptation

Policy recommendations for the EU level: Supporting participation in adaptive river basin management

Policy recommendations for the EU level: Recommendations for water management authorities within Europe and beyond

From planning to implementation: Recommendations for actions supporting adaptation in the Pedieos River Basin

From planning to implementation: Recommendations for actions supporting adaptation in the Vipava River Basin

From planning to implementation: Recommendations for implementation in the Rmel River Basin

From planning to implementation: Recommendations for action supporting adaptation in the Tordera River Basin

Deliverables – Reports:

D2.3 Guideline report on the BeWater approach outlining principles, methodology, concepts and protocols of the project

D3.1 Data integration in the Aquaknow platform

D4.1 - Compilation of best practice examples and experiences of adaptation plans

D4.2 Four draft adaptation plans, one for eachCSRB

D4.3. Four River Basin Adaptation Plans

D5.2 Project Website

D6.1 EU/AU Policy Instruments Review

D6.2. 1 st detailed cross-cutting Policy Sectors analysis -water and climate

D6.3 2nd Detailed Cross-cutting Policy Sectors Analysis - Water and Climate

D6.4 3rd detailed cross-cutting Policy Sectors analysis -water and climate

D.7.1 Study on national support mechanisms to international water management research

Dissemination material:

BeWater Brochure 2016

Publication in IMPACT Magazine