A bridge from water research to policy
There is often a disconnect between research and policy on important issues, and water management in Europe is no exception. Assessments reveal that less than 40 % of water bodies will meet good ecological status in 2015. Part of the problem is a lack of know-how to inform implementation of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). To address this, the EU funded a project known as 'Dissemination and uptake of FP water research results' (WATERDISS2.0) to bridge the gap between scientists, authorities and practitioners. The project gathered information on how over 60 water research projects approached dissemination of their findings and outputs. This allowed for the identification of factors that prevent or promote information sharing. Researchers and practitioners were then gathered at a conference in Berlin in order to communicate these findings and encourage knowledge exchanges. The conference attendees provided feedback on the project's analysis, which was developed into an Individual Dissemination Strategy (IDS). In addition to the IDS, WATERDISS2.0 produced a recommendation report to improve knowledge brokering for water research. From this report, the project team provided the European Commission with four key recommendations on better use of water research. The project also established the European Water Community, made up of over 400 members. This will ensure improved communication between stakeholders for improved water management.
Keywords
Water research, knowledge brokering, water management, dissemination