Second interaction of the IzVRS and stakeholders in Ajdovščina
BeWater Project actively involves stakeholders in the Vipava river basin as well as in the other three pilot river basins (Spain, Cyprus, Tunisia). Through participatory processes, interested society is involved into dialogue about water use and water management in the Vipava river basin to design joint plans for adaptation to climate change in their region.
Institute for Water of the Republic of Slovenia together with Prospex from Belgium and EFIMED from Spain organized the second BeWater stakeholder workshop. The workshop took place on 27th May 2015 on the premises of the regional Chamber of Craft and Small Business in Ajdovščina. It was attended by 12 stakeholders from different sectors, united by joint concern for the Vipava river basin. A short introductory welcome by Mr. David Bratož, the Director of Development Agency ROD Ajdovščina, was followed by brief presentation of the stakeholders and presentation of the current status of the BeWater project.
After the presentation of BeWater methodology and the project results, the workshop continued with active participation of the attendees aimed at addressing and evaluating water management options by Multi-criteria analysis (MCA).
The participants worked individually and, later, in groups in order to choose and identify the importance of criteria, composed of key features, problems, requirements and restrictions in the Vipava river basin presented and highlighted during the first BeWater workshop in June 2014. The criteria were also composed of identified characteristics of water management options. Participants have among others highlighted a need to combine and harmonize three different approaches for the adaptation plan to be efficient (a) “grey approach”, related to infrastructural and technological solutions, (b) “green approach”, which cover ecosystem-oriented measures, and (c) “soft approach”, related to lifestyles of people, system management and legislation. The main reason is that only the change of people's mindsets enables the technological solutions (e.g. construction of a water reservoir) to be carried out in a sustainable manner. There were three additional criteria proposed by the attendees (a) Bottom-up approach, (b) fast/timely decision-making, and (c) the need for development of tourism in the basin. These additional criteria have been included in the MCA.
The second part of the workshop was focused on the presentation and commenting on the list of proposed water management options and verification of preliminary MCA results. The final MCA results will, along with a cost-benefit analysis, serve as a basis for choosing the most suitable water management options for the Vipava river basin.
During the final part of the workshop, the participants highlighted the importance of searching for combinations and compromises related to the proposed water management options with the purpose of finding more efficient solutions to the highlighted challenges within the basin, namely, water availability, water quality and damage from flooding.
This workshop was the second among four stakeholders’ workshops organized in the frame of the BeWater project and represents an important further step towards developing an adaptation plan for the Vipava river basin. The purpose of the adaptation plan is sustainable water management in the basin and adaptation to the impacts of global change.
BeWater is an EU FP7-Collaborative Project that promotes dialogue and collaboration between science and society in sustainable water management and adaptation to the impacts of global change in the Mediterranean.