Periodic Reporting for period 2 - WaterWorks2015 (Water Works 2016-2020 in Support of the Water JPI (WaterWorks2015) - Sustainable water use in agriculture, to increase water use efficiency and reduce soil and water pollution)
Reporting period: 2017-04-01 to 2021-12-31
Water is a critical resource for society. Beside its main life function, freshwater provides other essential functions to our economy. Due to the nature of the water related grand challenges, they cannot be tackled through the isolated effort of national Research and Innovation (R&I) programmes. The ERA-NET Cofund WaterWorks2015 project supports and accelerates the implementation of the Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) on “Water Challenges for a Changing World” (Water JPI) and on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI). Both initiatives are inter-governmental R&I collaboration networks in Europe and abroad.
Achieving a “sustainable water use in agriculture, to increase water use efficiency and reduce soil and water pollution” is at the intersection of the two JPIs, contributing to the implementation of their respective Strategic Research (and Innovation) Agendas (SRIA/SRA). Specifically, WaterWorks2015 aims at i) pooling financial resources towards the definition and implementation of a Joint Transnational Call for proposals, and ii) developing activities to further support the implementation of Joint Programming, in order to reduce current fragmentation and to seek synergies between R&I programmes /projects /partners.
The project WaterWorks2015 constitutes a major step towards the planning and implementation of the two JPIs' activities. Several activities have been successfully implemented and contributed to both JPIs in terms of international collaborations, better understanding of Research, Development and Innovation areas to be promoted in the future by the JPIs and other European and international initiatives because of their environmental, socioeconomic and political relevance.
Achieving a “sustainable water use in agriculture, to increase water use efficiency and reduce soil and water pollution” is at the intersection of the two JPIs, contributing to the implementation of their respective Strategic Research (and Innovation) Agendas (SRIA/SRA). Specifically, WaterWorks2015 aims at i) pooling financial resources towards the definition and implementation of a Joint Transnational Call for proposals, and ii) developing activities to further support the implementation of Joint Programming, in order to reduce current fragmentation and to seek synergies between R&I programmes /projects /partners.
The project WaterWorks2015 constitutes a major step towards the planning and implementation of the two JPIs' activities. Several activities have been successfully implemented and contributed to both JPIs in terms of international collaborations, better understanding of Research, Development and Innovation areas to be promoted in the future by the JPIs and other European and international initiatives because of their environmental, socioeconomic and political relevance.
WaterWorks2015 has implemented in 2016 a Joint Transnational Call for proposals on "sustainable management of water resources in agriculture, forestry and freshwater aquaculture sectors". The Call theme covered some of the priority themes described in the strategic agendas of both JPIs, through 3 challenges:
1. Increasing the efficiency and resilience of water uses;
2. Monitoring and reducing soil and water pollution; and
3. Integrating social and economic dimensions into the sustainable management and governance of water resources
A total of 21 transnational collaborative Research and innovation (R&I) projects were selected for a total funding of 16.8 M€, through a competitive call involving 23 Funding Partner Organisations (FPOs) from 22 countries (including 9 associated and third countries) and the European Commission.
The impact assessment of the funded projects reveals that i) issues in the frontier between Water and FACCE JPI were successfully addressed, the knowledge generated by the projects will contribute to both JPIs and ii) a large community of researchers and technologists was involved in the call, including relevant participation of the private sector.
The direct engagement with the research community, companies, other relevant stakeholders and society at large facilitate the dissemination of knowledge delivered by the projects. Main results and data on the funded projects are also available on the Water JPI Open Access and Open Data Platform.
Based on the Water JPI Communication Strategy, the main dissemination tools used to promote the activities developed within WaterWorks2015 are the Water JPI website and the Water JPI social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), as well as a monthly newsletter and a calendar of events.
All the activities implemented in the framework of WaterWorks2015 contributed to the Water JPI and in a lesser extent to FACCE JPI.
Activities undertaken on International Cooperation contributed to the Water JPI International Cooperation strategy, developed in the CSA IC4Water.
The Common Vision strategy developed between Water and FACCE JPIs allows to highlight knowledge gaps and RDI needs on water and agriculture for future EU partnerships (notably, Water4All and to a lesser extent Agroecology) or other neighbouring initiatives.
The alignment activities comprised of:
• Mirror Groups, national groups set up to facilitate the alignment of national water-related research activities with those of the Water JPI.
• Roadshows, to further disseminate the concept of JPI and encourage participation from countries that had a low level of involvement in the Water JPI.
• Thematic Annual Programming (TAP) on aquatic ecosystems (AQUATAP-ES), which allows coordination between individual national projects. This action was launched with six national research projects from four countries from June 2019 to June 2021.
• Knowledge Hub on Contaminants of Emerging Concern (KHCEC) which aims to bridge the gap between scientists and target stakeholder groups (regulatory authorities, environmental scientists and professionals). The KHCEC was launched from March 2018 to March 2020 and comprised 23 experts from 11 countries.
• Mobility schemes and research infrastructure (RI) actions to support the Water JPI community and its network through the development of a platform focused only on water-related domains.
A quality and risk control plan was prepared to ensure an effective monitoring of the project realization.
1. Increasing the efficiency and resilience of water uses;
2. Monitoring and reducing soil and water pollution; and
3. Integrating social and economic dimensions into the sustainable management and governance of water resources
A total of 21 transnational collaborative Research and innovation (R&I) projects were selected for a total funding of 16.8 M€, through a competitive call involving 23 Funding Partner Organisations (FPOs) from 22 countries (including 9 associated and third countries) and the European Commission.
The impact assessment of the funded projects reveals that i) issues in the frontier between Water and FACCE JPI were successfully addressed, the knowledge generated by the projects will contribute to both JPIs and ii) a large community of researchers and technologists was involved in the call, including relevant participation of the private sector.
The direct engagement with the research community, companies, other relevant stakeholders and society at large facilitate the dissemination of knowledge delivered by the projects. Main results and data on the funded projects are also available on the Water JPI Open Access and Open Data Platform.
Based on the Water JPI Communication Strategy, the main dissemination tools used to promote the activities developed within WaterWorks2015 are the Water JPI website and the Water JPI social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), as well as a monthly newsletter and a calendar of events.
All the activities implemented in the framework of WaterWorks2015 contributed to the Water JPI and in a lesser extent to FACCE JPI.
Activities undertaken on International Cooperation contributed to the Water JPI International Cooperation strategy, developed in the CSA IC4Water.
The Common Vision strategy developed between Water and FACCE JPIs allows to highlight knowledge gaps and RDI needs on water and agriculture for future EU partnerships (notably, Water4All and to a lesser extent Agroecology) or other neighbouring initiatives.
The alignment activities comprised of:
• Mirror Groups, national groups set up to facilitate the alignment of national water-related research activities with those of the Water JPI.
• Roadshows, to further disseminate the concept of JPI and encourage participation from countries that had a low level of involvement in the Water JPI.
• Thematic Annual Programming (TAP) on aquatic ecosystems (AQUATAP-ES), which allows coordination between individual national projects. This action was launched with six national research projects from four countries from June 2019 to June 2021.
• Knowledge Hub on Contaminants of Emerging Concern (KHCEC) which aims to bridge the gap between scientists and target stakeholder groups (regulatory authorities, environmental scientists and professionals). The KHCEC was launched from March 2018 to March 2020 and comprised 23 experts from 11 countries.
• Mobility schemes and research infrastructure (RI) actions to support the Water JPI community and its network through the development of a platform focused only on water-related domains.
A quality and risk control plan was prepared to ensure an effective monitoring of the project realization.
The following impacts are observed:
1. Better use of scarce human and financial resources in the area of water R&I:
WaterWorks2015 effectively exploits synergies and nurtures transnational R&I teams to strengthen the coordination between regional, national, European and international water & food security R&I programmes. The Joint Call for R&I proposals enabled to fulfil objectives of both SRIAs, while avoiding duplication of work, sharing operational costs, and increasing efficiency. Additionally, impacts include knowledge sharing, networking between researchers, and enlarging Water JPI international cooperation.
2. Reduced fragmentation of water R&I efforts across Europe:
Fragmentation of efforts has been addressed at the JPI level.
3. Improved synergy, coordination and coherence between national and European Union (EU) funding in the relevant R&I fields through transnational collaboration:
WaterWorks2015 has played a major role by interfacing National and EU funding and bringing together National programmes to a higher dimension through transnational collaboration.
4. Improved implementation of R&I programmes in these fields through exchange of good practices:
WaterWorks2015 develops activities on sharing of good practices among national and regional programmes, like development of KH allowing researchers to share experiences, expertise and good practices.
All activities were opportunities for developing shared and more harmonised practices in RDI programming and implementation, in the alignment activities and in the promotion of Open Access and Open Data policy.
5. and 6. Contribution to Water and FACCE JPIs:
WaterWorks2015 made relevant contributions to both JPIs strategies and implementation plans through the development of a Common Vision, the initiation of the international cooperation and several alignment case studies. A Water JPI platform on Mobility and Infrastructure was also developed.
7. Achievement of a critical mass:
WaterWorks2015 consortium consists of 31 partners for a durable cooperation in water & food security R&I (6 organisations belonging to both JPIs, 15 from Water JPI and 3 from FACCE-JPI, and major players from Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, Canada, and Taiwan).
1. Better use of scarce human and financial resources in the area of water R&I:
WaterWorks2015 effectively exploits synergies and nurtures transnational R&I teams to strengthen the coordination between regional, national, European and international water & food security R&I programmes. The Joint Call for R&I proposals enabled to fulfil objectives of both SRIAs, while avoiding duplication of work, sharing operational costs, and increasing efficiency. Additionally, impacts include knowledge sharing, networking between researchers, and enlarging Water JPI international cooperation.
2. Reduced fragmentation of water R&I efforts across Europe:
Fragmentation of efforts has been addressed at the JPI level.
3. Improved synergy, coordination and coherence between national and European Union (EU) funding in the relevant R&I fields through transnational collaboration:
WaterWorks2015 has played a major role by interfacing National and EU funding and bringing together National programmes to a higher dimension through transnational collaboration.
4. Improved implementation of R&I programmes in these fields through exchange of good practices:
WaterWorks2015 develops activities on sharing of good practices among national and regional programmes, like development of KH allowing researchers to share experiences, expertise and good practices.
All activities were opportunities for developing shared and more harmonised practices in RDI programming and implementation, in the alignment activities and in the promotion of Open Access and Open Data policy.
5. and 6. Contribution to Water and FACCE JPIs:
WaterWorks2015 made relevant contributions to both JPIs strategies and implementation plans through the development of a Common Vision, the initiation of the international cooperation and several alignment case studies. A Water JPI platform on Mobility and Infrastructure was also developed.
7. Achievement of a critical mass:
WaterWorks2015 consortium consists of 31 partners for a durable cooperation in water & food security R&I (6 organisations belonging to both JPIs, 15 from Water JPI and 3 from FACCE-JPI, and major players from Tunisia, Egypt, South Africa, Canada, and Taiwan).