The Nostrum-DSS and INECO Joint Event on
“IWRM through coordination, dissemination, and exploitation of research outcomes“

Background

A recent review of EC-supported research depicted that projects tend to place more emphasis on the environmental, societal and economic impacts of research, and that integration of science and research with policy priorities is an objective that is being increasingly pursued. However, the uptake of research results remains unsatisfactory, for several reasons including the inefficient communication between the science and policy spheres. Various efforts have been or are being pursued, including the development of a knowledge base on tangible water management problems, the implementation of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership and attempts to establish two-way feedback for the dissemination of experiences and outputs. Furthermore, the enhanced opportunities for interaction and cooperation between the EU and third countries research teams has contributed to the development of new approaches and perspectives in water policy and policy-relevant water science.

However, it is broadly acknowledged there are still problem areas, where action should be sought and implemented:

• Fragmentation in research activities, as many different programmes and projects with similar or interrelated objectives are implemented but with limited possibility to interact and exchange and/or integrate outputs.

• Limited effectiveness in the dissemination of research results towards stakeholders and the general public both during and after project implementation.

• Limited exploitation of research results, due to the small duration of project activities (limited time for impact vs. time required for the integration of outcomes in policies) and the inherent difficulty in reaching the intended end-user.

An initiative for addressing the above issues and concerns was undertaken by the Nostrum-DSS and INECO projects, through the organization of a Joint Event specifically aimed at identifying common strategies for strengthening the impact of research, by offering concrete ideas and suggestions on how to address the aforementioned three problem areas.

This Joint Event was organized in Larnaka, Cyprus on October 25^th 2007. It was attended by a total of 54 participants, including representatives of 9 EC-funded projects focused on water management in the Mediterranean Basin (GEWAMED, INECO, WASAMED, MEDROPLAN, MEDITATE, MELIA, ISIIMM, DIMAS, Nostrum-DSS), European Commission and EU Water Initiative representatives and invited experts.

The event was divided in three sessions:

• During the morning session, brief presentations were made by the participating projects on their experiences, approaches and views on the dissemination, coordination and exploitation of research outcomes.
• The second session was dedicated to contributions from panel experts on opportunities offered and problems frequently encountered.
• Finally, the afternoon Workshop aimed at the synthesis of views through group discussions, and the preparation of contributions for the final conclusions.

The Afternoon Workshop voting session

Material available for download:
- Event executive summary
- Event report
- Event presentations

In summary, the recommendations drawn from the event were the following:

• The fragmentation and communication problems of research activities can be addressed by actions that support interaction and integration among projects and results, including the establishment of voluntary clusters, the organization of joint international events, strategic collaboration with different bodies, and the setting-up of follow-up activities.
• The successful integration of research and policy and the dissemination of project results requires adapting to the local context. Collaboration with local stakeholders is an objective that should be pursued from the very beginning and to which significant resources should be devoted.
• Successful dissemination lies in the use of different dissemination means for different audiences, and in addressing the audience in an effective, simplified and comprehensive way.
• The efficient and effective exploitation of research results from projects should be fostered by follow-up activities, through specifically targeted research projects (local and international), regional exchange networks, establishment of links with EU frameworks and political initiatives (e.g. the MED-EUWI), and other political organizations active in the Mediterranean area (e.g. the Coordination Unit of UNEP/MAP).