Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NEWAVE (Next Water Governance)
Période du rapport: 2021-11-01 au 2024-04-30
‘NEWAVE – Next Water Governance’ is a EU-funded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN), which departs from the notion that the global debate about water governance needs a reset, and aims to point the way forward. The project aims to train a new generation of 15 water governance Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) with fundamental knowledge, advanced skills, and adequate tools to address current and future water governance challenges. The project is rooted in the conviction that the rising threats of future water crises and hydro-social challenges present an urgent need to enhance the global capacity to reflect critically on the current water governance trajectory. In that light, NEWAVE aims at developing and implementing a cutting-edge actionable research agenda on the key water governance priorities and insights for future directions, from a global perspective. NEWAVE counts on the exceptional and diversified experience of its transnational network of academic and non-academic organisations. The training programme provides an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach that exposes its Early Stage Researchers to the latest scientific concepts and methodologies from fundamental to applied research. Because of its excellent design, NEWAVE helps to recognize and avoid the traps in the current debate on water governance, such as panacea thinking, the disregard of institutional contexts, and the neglect of politics or normative considerations such as justice and equity. NEWAVE thus presents an opportunity to make a step change in an salient societal debate in Europe, and far beyond, and is designed to leave a strong legacy in terms of networks, insights and skills acquired.
The project started in 2019 and has so far (2024) achieved significant results, with the completion of the training programme for its 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs), the consolidations of its research agenda with important scientific outputs, and impactful dissemination activities, prominently establishing the role of the Network in the water governance international arena.
Achieving its high aims and objectives, NEWAVE produced a series of results that represent the legacy of the network, as well as its contribution to the water governance world. These include, but are not limited to:
- Scientific Publications and NEWAVE Special Issue;
- Policy-related outputs, including: a policy brief (D3.5 4.5 and 5.5); a report and recommendations to major water governance guidelines (D6.3); a Policy Brief and recommendations (D7.4); a Policy white paper (D8.5).
- Co-production reports, including: a conceptual framework for participatory approaches in water governance analysis (D7.1) a Methodological approach for co-production and learning (D7.2) and a White Paper on advanced participatory water governance (D7.3).
- Online open source learning platform 'The School of Water Governance (SWAG)', including lectures and training recordings and MOOC on water governance (D8.8).
- NEWAVE Water Governance Atlas (D6.5) and Water Governance Toolbox (D6.2).
- NEWAVE Documentary (D8.7) features the NEWAVE Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) and their research work
- and NEWAVE Website & Mailing list; serving respectively as repository of NEWAVE legacy products, available for further dissemination and use by the different target audiences, and outreach to disseminate the network results and updates.
Achieving its high aims and objectives, NEWAVE produced a series of results that represent the legacy of the network, as well as its contribution to the water governance world. These include, but are not limited to:
- Scientific Publications and NEWAVE Special Issue;
- Policy-related outputs, including: a policy brief (D3.5 4.5 and 5.5); a report and recommendations to major water governance guidelines (D6.3); a Policy Brief and recommendations (D7.4); a Policy white paper (D8.5).
- Co-production reports, including: a conceptual framework for participatory approaches in water governance analysis (D7.1) a Methodological approach for co-production and learning (D7.2) and a White Paper on advanced participatory water governance (D7.3).
- Online open source learning platform 'The School of Water Governance (SWAG)', including lectures and training recordings and MOOC on water governance (D8.8).
- NEWAVE Water Governance Atlas (D6.5) and Water Governance Toolbox (D6.2).
- NEWAVE Documentary (D8.7) features the NEWAVE Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) and their research work
- and NEWAVE Website & Mailing list; serving respectively as repository of NEWAVE legacy products, available for further dissemination and use by the different target audiences, and outreach to disseminate the network results and updates.
NEWAVE laid out and achieved the following overarching objectives throughout its years of existence:
1. Bring together an excellent trans-national and transdisciplinary network of water governance organisations;
2. Develop and implement a cutting-edge actionable research agenda on the key water governance priorities and insights for future directions;
3. Train a new generation of water governance early stage researchers (ESRs) and ensure that they have the trans and interdisciplinary skills to make significant contributions to both the academic and extra-academic water governance world.
The Consortium has consolidated its collaboration through the collective participation in different activities regarding management, training, supervision, research, and events, with the involvement of academic and non-academic members; the latter including governmental and non-governmental agencies, consultancies, and civil society. NEWAVE’s organisation and involvement in international events resulted in an increased outreach and awareness of the Network. In some cases, this interest in NEWAVE would turn into official partnership.
At the heart of NEWAVE’s research agenda lies the awareness that water governance is a multigenerational, politically sensitive, socio-environmental challenge which requires the involvement of policy makers, civil society actors, entrepreneurs and scientists from different disciplines. NEWAVE developed and implemented a collective research agenda, building on the 3Ps heuristic framework generated by NEWAVE members. The 3Ps (Problématiques, Paradigms, Patterns of water governance) are the three interrelated angles through which to approach water governance. This common framework is used to generate accumulation of knowledge and the organisation and coordination of the research activities. The 3Ps framework builds on different disciplines, ensuring coherence while maintaining epistemological diversity, and supporting emergent properties.
The training activities conducted have taken care of the quality and innovative aspects of the programme. NEWAVE placed particular attention to specific elements while designing training activities, as: providing and encouraging the exploration of new epistemological horizons across disciplinary boundaries, as well as new and innovative research methodologies; co-producing of teaching and learning activities and products; involvement of non-academic actors in supervisory teams, for the ESRs’ secondment and for dissemination of results.
The exceptional scientific experience of the NEWAVE consortium, the interdisciplinary approach to tackling issues and the diversity of the partner organisations guaranteed the ESRs exposure to the latest scientific concepts and methodologies, from fundamental to applied research. In addition to practical experience through non-academic secondment, the solid and innovative combination of training in scientific and transferable skills during the TAD Skills School and other workshops during NEWAVE, made NEWAVE researchers highly attractive to potential employers in all sectors concerned. To develop the training, NEWAVE focused on a variety of skills to ESRs the leadership capacity to excel and make a difference in water governance and launch diverse careers in a variety of sectors.
Results demonstrating the capacity to make significant contributions to academic and extra academic water governance world encompass the publications in high-impact journals, as well as the capability to participate and influence discussions in leading global debates, such as the participation in the UN Water Conference. Not only that, many ESRs adopted bottom-up approaches in their research, engaging directly with the involved communities and co-producing results with them, demonstrating the fundamental role of raising community voices in water governance discussions.
1. Bring together an excellent trans-national and transdisciplinary network of water governance organisations;
2. Develop and implement a cutting-edge actionable research agenda on the key water governance priorities and insights for future directions;
3. Train a new generation of water governance early stage researchers (ESRs) and ensure that they have the trans and interdisciplinary skills to make significant contributions to both the academic and extra-academic water governance world.
The Consortium has consolidated its collaboration through the collective participation in different activities regarding management, training, supervision, research, and events, with the involvement of academic and non-academic members; the latter including governmental and non-governmental agencies, consultancies, and civil society. NEWAVE’s organisation and involvement in international events resulted in an increased outreach and awareness of the Network. In some cases, this interest in NEWAVE would turn into official partnership.
At the heart of NEWAVE’s research agenda lies the awareness that water governance is a multigenerational, politically sensitive, socio-environmental challenge which requires the involvement of policy makers, civil society actors, entrepreneurs and scientists from different disciplines. NEWAVE developed and implemented a collective research agenda, building on the 3Ps heuristic framework generated by NEWAVE members. The 3Ps (Problématiques, Paradigms, Patterns of water governance) are the three interrelated angles through which to approach water governance. This common framework is used to generate accumulation of knowledge and the organisation and coordination of the research activities. The 3Ps framework builds on different disciplines, ensuring coherence while maintaining epistemological diversity, and supporting emergent properties.
The training activities conducted have taken care of the quality and innovative aspects of the programme. NEWAVE placed particular attention to specific elements while designing training activities, as: providing and encouraging the exploration of new epistemological horizons across disciplinary boundaries, as well as new and innovative research methodologies; co-producing of teaching and learning activities and products; involvement of non-academic actors in supervisory teams, for the ESRs’ secondment and for dissemination of results.
The exceptional scientific experience of the NEWAVE consortium, the interdisciplinary approach to tackling issues and the diversity of the partner organisations guaranteed the ESRs exposure to the latest scientific concepts and methodologies, from fundamental to applied research. In addition to practical experience through non-academic secondment, the solid and innovative combination of training in scientific and transferable skills during the TAD Skills School and other workshops during NEWAVE, made NEWAVE researchers highly attractive to potential employers in all sectors concerned. To develop the training, NEWAVE focused on a variety of skills to ESRs the leadership capacity to excel and make a difference in water governance and launch diverse careers in a variety of sectors.
Results demonstrating the capacity to make significant contributions to academic and extra academic water governance world encompass the publications in high-impact journals, as well as the capability to participate and influence discussions in leading global debates, such as the participation in the UN Water Conference. Not only that, many ESRs adopted bottom-up approaches in their research, engaging directly with the involved communities and co-producing results with them, demonstrating the fundamental role of raising community voices in water governance discussions.