Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RETOUCH Nexus (REsilienT water gOvernance Under climate CHange within the WEFE NEXUS)
Reporting period: 2023-01-01 to 2024-06-30
The RETOUCH Nexus project addresses critical challenges in European water governance through the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach. Its primary goal is to establish robust, integrated, sustainable, and inclusive water governance systems that can be scaled across regions. To achieve this, the project focuses on developing a comprehensive knowledge base, which includes 35 Nexus-smart indicators for monitoring water governance. These indicators will be tested and refined through case studies to provide quantitative evidence on the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of water governance, aiding in more informed decision-making. The project also aims to establish multi-level, multi-actor, and cross-sectoral governance schemes by analyzing current practices across the EU, identifying barriers and enablers, and offering recommendations for sustainable governance. Economic, financial, and business tools will be developed to reconcile the cost, value, and price of water, with these tools tested in case studies to design effective pricing policies, markets, tariffs, and investment strategies. To ensure broad stakeholder involvement, RETOUCH Nexus will create an empowering ecosystem for participation, fostering the engagement of civil society and cross-sectoral stakeholders in co-creating water governance solutions. The project will involve at least 300 citizens and 90 stakeholders in this process. Finally, strategies will be formulated to scale up successful governance practices across the EU, identifying key success factors and barriers, reviewing current bottlenecks, and providing evidence-based advice. The project's impact is expected to be significant, promoting inclusive and sustainable practices that enhance water governance, resource management, and policy coherence across the EU, with a strong emphasis on integrating social sciences and humanities to understand stakeholder dynamics and foster inclusive governance.
In the first reporting period of the RETOUCH NEXUS project, notable progress has been achieved in several key areas. First, a comprehensive framework of Nexus-smart indicators for water governance has been developed. These indicators aim to enhance the monitoring and management of water resources. Dashboards to support this knowledge base are under development, and testing of these indicators in six case studies is underway to refine practical recommendations. The project is also working on multi-level, multi-actor, and cross-sectoral water governance schemes. Recommendations for both case studies and EU-level governance are in progress, with efforts focused on creating inclusive and effective governance guidelines. Development of a Nexus-smart approach to water governance planning is ongoing, alongside the creation of guidelines for fair water governance. In the realm of economic instruments, a comprehensive review of tools to value water was completed, and frameworks for designing water pricing policies and markets are being developed. A policy brief summarizing these findings is being prepared, and work on business models and financing plans is scheduled to begin in 2025. For stakeholder engagement, the project plans to introduce twelve innovative mechanisms to enhance participation, with guidelines and strategies for inclusive engagement also in progress. The development of these mechanisms is set to start in 2025. Lastly, the project has made efforts in understanding bottlenecks in water governance and analyzing national policies. While recommendations for upscaling governance practices are still being developed, they will be based on insights gained from the case studies and other project activities. Overall, the project has delivered 20 deliverables, achieved 9 milestones, and produced numerous dissemination materials, including 4 scientific presentations, 1 scientific publication, 2 newsletters, 9 stakeholder events, 94 factsheets, 8 videos, and 1 policy brief. These accomplishments demonstrate the project’s significant advancements in water governance, economic valuation, and stakeholder engagement.
he RETOUCH NEXUS project has made significant strides in advancing water governance, potentially reshaping sustainable water management. A key achievement is the development of Nexus-smart indicators that monitor water governance by reflecting interactions among sectors and actors. This aligns with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which focuses on understanding SDG interdependencies and promoting coherent governance across levels and sectors.
The project also emphasizes the need for integrated and climate-resilient water governance. By examining EU water legislation implementation, it highlights the importance of policy coordination beyond water-centric approaches, advocating for the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach. Despite progress, translating these Nexus approaches into effective governance remains a challenge, indicating a need for further research.
Regarding economic instruments, the project addresses limitations in current models and practices. It seeks to improve water valuation and economic instrument design through more reliable models and transparent monitoring frameworks, crucial for overcoming resistance to treating water as a commodity and ensuring equitable, sustainable pricing.
Additionally, the project promotes transparent and inclusive governance through innovative engagement mechanisms. It explores successful stakeholder practices from case studies to tackle public awareness and participation challenges.
To ensure these advancements' uptake and success, the project must focus on refining Nexus-based governance schemes, validating economic instruments through demonstration projects, and developing policy recommendations. Support for collaboration and a strong regulatory framework will be vital for scaling these innovations and achieving lasting impact.
The project also emphasizes the need for integrated and climate-resilient water governance. By examining EU water legislation implementation, it highlights the importance of policy coordination beyond water-centric approaches, advocating for the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach. Despite progress, translating these Nexus approaches into effective governance remains a challenge, indicating a need for further research.
Regarding economic instruments, the project addresses limitations in current models and practices. It seeks to improve water valuation and economic instrument design through more reliable models and transparent monitoring frameworks, crucial for overcoming resistance to treating water as a commodity and ensuring equitable, sustainable pricing.
Additionally, the project promotes transparent and inclusive governance through innovative engagement mechanisms. It explores successful stakeholder practices from case studies to tackle public awareness and participation challenges.
To ensure these advancements' uptake and success, the project must focus on refining Nexus-based governance schemes, validating economic instruments through demonstration projects, and developing policy recommendations. Support for collaboration and a strong regulatory framework will be vital for scaling these innovations and achieving lasting impact.