Project description
A blueprint for integrated water resource management
Safe drinking water is vital, but agricultural contamination hampers quality targets. Existing policies have fallen short in consistently protecting drinking water resources across the EU. With this in mind, the EU-funded FAIRWAY project will review policies, governance, and farm water management approaches. Bringing together researchers, farm advisors, and consultancies, FAIRWAY will conduct 13 case studies in 11 EU countries, fostering innovation and governance. Scaling up successful practices, effective communication, and integrating agriculture and water policies are key. FAIRWAY aims to blueprint integrated water resource management through science, tools, and inclusive governance. Dissemination via advanced tech, social media, and workshops will raise awareness and engagement for water supply protection.
Objective
Safe drinking water is vital for human health. Diffuse pollution of nitrogen and pesticides from agriculture is the main obstacle to meet drinking water quality targets. Policies to protect drinking water resources have not achieved a consistent effectiveness in all member states. The objective of FAIRWAY is to review policy, governance and farm water management approaches to protect drinking water resources in the EU and to identify and further develop innovative measures and governance approaches which will simultaneously increase the sustainability of agriculture. The FAIRWAY partners form a unique blend of researchers, farm advisers and consultancies and is built on 13 case studies (‘living labs’) in 11 different EU countries, which will form the core of a multi-actor platform, underpinning all FAIRWAY work packages. Equally important is the upscaling of successful practices from case studies to the regional, national, and EU scales, emphasising the role of effective communication and extension tools developed in FAIRWAY. The outputs will provide a blueprint for multi-actor engagement across different scales, which will allow agriculture and water policies to be addressed in a more integrated way. FAIRWAY will i) increase the scientific understanding of the relationship between agriculture and drinking water protection, ii) increase the understanding for the social, technical and economic barriers to practical implementing of measures (iii) deliver innovative measures and tools to overcome these barriers, iv) develop protocols and data-sets for monitoring of farming practices and water quality, v) develop effective governance approaches for small to large water supplies, and vi) increase awareness and involvement of farmers and other citizens in the monitoring and governance of water supplies. The FAIRWAY results will be widely disseminated to a range of targeted audiences using state-of-the-art technologies, social media and workshops.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processes
- social sciencessociologygovernance
- engineering and technologycivil engineeringwater engineeringirrigation
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental scienceshydrology
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringnatural resources managementwater management
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.2. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.1. - Increasing production efficiency and coping with climate change, while ensuring sustainability and resilience
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.3. - Empowerment of rural areas, support to policies and rural innovation
- H2020-EU.3.2.1.2. - Providing ecosystems services and public goods
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
6708 PB Wageningen
Netherlands
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Participants (21)
3818 EX Amersfoort
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6708 PB Wageningen
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45060 Orleans
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1609 KOBENHAVN
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0579 Oslo
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1000 Ljubljana
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84029 Sicignano Degli Alburni
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
4101 BA CULEMBORG
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
38116 Braunschweig
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3045-093 Coimbra
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LN6 7TS Lincoln
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011464 Bucuresti
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546 36 THESSALONIKI
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BT9 5PX Belfast
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8000 Aarhus C
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1350 Kobenhavn K
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3721 MA Bilthoven
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2000 Maribor
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WA6 0AR Cheshire
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26121 Oldenburg
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1216 AP HILVERSUM
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.