From Director of EJWP/H2O-People, Naomi Timmer
Here we are on the doorstep of Fall 2023 with a new group of young professionals and their organizations ready to collaborate on water management and innovation beginning next month with an EJWP Training Week in Croatia.
This month our team is taking turns recharging and preparing for our next steps. Whether you are spending time with friends and family on summer holidays, or with colleagues working, I believe in the importance of growing a human connection to make the most of what is meaningful in our lives. This should be the motivation to keep creating and cooperating, while looking at what more we can do for each other.
In this spirit, we are increasing cooperation between partners, countries, and disciplines. One example is supporting and training the WATERLINE project consortium in the summer school at the University of Exeter in the UK on work strategies in Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality. Multicultural teams stand to benefit from this in numerous ways. Professional development trainings are developed by H2O-People built on behavior science and practical exercises. These trainings aim at bridging cultural differences through communicating to increase cooperation, while keeping attention to a balance of needs in life and work.
It is to all of our benefit to continue creating a community of ambassadors for water and transitions related to digital technology, nature-based solutions and the inclusion of all voices of people. Global warming is shaping our futures with more moisture in the air causing torrential precipitation for floods, and in drying or salty grounds where people are struggling to grow crops. We are essentially one people who need to look at what more we can do with and for each other to make our coming years resilient and liveable. This is what motivates me. I hope you feel it too.
To all of our participants, partners, collaborators, friends and families who support us in working to make a positive impact on our water future: Thank You for being a part of this journey. You are the PEOPLE who are making this happen; our connection is valuable! As I’ve mentioned before, this wild water ride we are all on (so to speak) is far too big to tackle alone. And to others who are following so far by reading our newsletters, you are invited to become an active part of our water-smart community.
See you in September!
With best wishes,
Naomi