Water Governance & Policy Advice

WaterProtect studied and evaluated the water governance systems in the action labs.

According to the OECD’s Principles of Water Governance it is recognised that “bottom-up and inclusive decision making is the key to effective water policies”.

Starting from this premise, WaterProtect adopted a multi-actor approach to ensure a close cooperation between farmers, conservationists, water producers, researchers and agricultural ministries or water management agencies. The cooperation is aimed to attract alternative financing for effective measures that reduce the risks of pollution and the costs of treatment of the raw water.

WaterProtect wants to provide integrative guidelines and policy recommendations that incorporate sustainable water
management into existing farming systems and land management and that are based on both the ongoing stakeholder
debates at European level and the specific real-life assessments made in the study areas. Upscaling the results and outputs of the case studies of the WaterProtect to European level is critical to ensure the exploitation of the solutions identified. 

WaterProtect is building on existing and further to develop harmonised, transparent and understandable indicators to ensure reliable and comparable data that will stimulate involvement of farmers and citizens in sustainable water governance models.

Activities in this work package will aim to provide a better framework for the science/policy interface and promote into policy
processes (i.e. CAP review) the lessons learned in the study areas, so as to contribute to integrating the goals of WFD
and general principles of sustainable water management.

Upscaling WaterProtect results and outputs from the action labs to EU level

Upscaling the results and outputs of the case studies of the WaterProtect to European level is critical to ensure the exploitation of the solutions identified. 

In order to facilitate this, the information needs to be applicable and communicable to potential end users at regional level. This work package will start by setting the stage and exploring the playing field in terms of how stakeholders in Europe are adapting farming systems to ensure sustainable water management. 

Linking the WaterProtect’s case studies to other best examples, and using that information in the broader communication and dissemination of the project, will allow the project to have greater impact beyond the seven case studies.
A thorough comparison of the results and the process in the different case studies will provide important insights into good governance strategies that work and can help improve water quality in other EU regions.