The Cyprus Institute presented their BeWater experiences at this year's European Geosciences Union (EGU) Assembly in Vienna (12-17 April).

Hakan Djuma delivered the BeWater oral and poster presentation in the session: "Hydrology & Society: Transdisciplinary approaches to hydrology and water resources management."

The abstract of the presentation "Adapting to Climate Change or to Stakeholders?" is available. Following the presentations, the Hydrology & Society session hosted a lively debate about the importance of stakeholders.

As part of the BeWater awareness campaign, on 15th April 2015, the representatives of the Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia presented the BeWater Project and organized field trip to the Vipava River Basin for students of Biotechnical Secondary School Nova Gorica.

The presentation of BeWater Project, the status of the Vipava River and sustainable water management practices was attended by 30 students of 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade, course Nature Protection Technician. Following the presentation, the IWRS representatives, the students and the teachers visited the Vipava River Basin.

Europe for Business (EFB) representatives attended the 2nd European Innovation Partnership Water Conference on behalf of BeWater project. Over 400 attendees participated in enlightening discussions on connecting water innovation demand and supply, learned about the activities of 25 EIP Water Action Groups, identified opportunities for near future collaborations and helped shape European water innovation policy.

The FP4BATIW project is organising a workshop "Water use in the Mediterranean basin considering nexus approach conference" in Amman, Jordan, on 26 April 2015. The conference will be attended by over 300 policy-makers, representatives from the world of water management, end-users, and international professional organisations from Jordan and European countries.

The workshop seeks to consolidate the existing synergies between researchers, industry and civil society in Europe and the Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPC) to implement the best available technologies for water treatment.

Rivers: Engaging, Supporting and Transferring knOwledge on River Restoration (RESTORE) - including a ‘Laymans Report’ River restoration in Europe: the art of the possible - is recommended reading as LIFE+ proposals are currently being developed for the 2015 call.

RESTORE is a LIFE+ project that ran from 2010 to 2013. It launched with six European partners and the objective of making connections between river restoration professionals in Europe and joining existing national efforts on river restoration. Research carried out prior to RESTORE had shown that the main problem faced by river restoration professionals is often not a lack of expertise but a lack of access to shared experiences and knowledge. To address this issue, RESTORE worked to share and promote information on the best and most effective means of carrying out river restoration in Europe.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL

The Water Framework Directive and the Floods Directive: Actions towards the 'good status' of EU water and to reduce flood risks

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The implementation of the 2000 Water Framework Directive (WFD) relies on Member States taking a range of cost-effective measures in a transparent and participatory way. Member States must summarise these measures (included in their ‘programmes of measures’ or PoMs) in their river basin management plans (RBMPs), which are updated every six years. In 2012, the Commission published its assessment of the RBMPs available at that time.

On the occasion of the World Water Day, celebrated on March 22nd, the Water Supply Department of Cyprus organized the event “Water: drops of life”. The event was part of a water consciousness campaign, aiming to raise awareness about water related issues in Cyprus among society. 

The Centre for Water Law, Policy & Science (under the auspices of UNESCO) is hosting a serious of water-related events this June and July, at the University of Dundee, Scotland, UK.

BeWater will feature at the European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA) in May.

“BeWater Project: Science and society co-creating four Mediterranean River Adaptation Plans to face water scarcity” will be presented by Coordinator, Anabel Sánchez (CREAF) during the session "Governance of Drought Adaptation in Europe: Different Regions, same Challenges?" chaired by Consortium partners ECOLOGIC. The Conference will take place from 12 - 14 May in Copenhagen, Denmark.

How can a region develop a water cluster whilst integrating all actors within the regional water sector?

How can we tackle waste water issues efficiently, using innovative water technologies?

How can existing regional water cluster foster international collaboration?

This and much more will be addressed at the the joint WssTP-ERRIN RIS3 Workshop, which is organised on 25th of March in Brussels.

Registrations are now open!!

The ERA-NET Cofund WaterWorks2014 was launched in 2014 in support of the Water JPI. It is funded by the EC under Horizon 2020.

WaterWorks2014 aims at tackling European water challenges through the development of transnational and trans-disciplinary research and innovation actions.

WaterWorks2014 addresses the specific challenge of integrating the efforts and Strategic Agendas of many European Water Research and Innovation Funding Organisations.

High-profile speakers from the United States, the Middle East, and Europe featured in an International Conference on Sustainable Cites for Water, which took place in Barcelona on 20 February 2015.

The aim was to promote and develop sustainable practices related to water management and exchange knowledge and experiences concerning water management within different varying regions.

A one-day seminar for young people aged 15 - 19 will be held at the Brussels Regional Parliament on 20 March 2015. The seminar will include a workshop session on Climate Change and Policy where BeWater Consortium partner Murray Biedler will lead activities based the EU Policy evaluation work carried out in the frame of the BeWater project.

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Talk of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, Gantt Charts and Mental Modelling might have you reaching rapidly for your project dictionary but behind the terminology lies some significant progress in the BeWater project over the recent months.

These and other elements of the project were presented and discussed at the BeWater Steering Committee meeting, which took place in Brussels from 4 – 6 February 2015.

The second edition of BeWater News brings you a round-up of recent news and project views from the end of a very busy 2014.

The Awareness Campaigns kicked off in each of the four Case Study River Basins, following the Consortium General Meeting, held in Cyprus in October. Also this edition we focus on WP6's Policy Review work.

BeWater News, Edition 2, January 2015

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