EJWP Groups 2 and 3 came together in Brussels on 14 June to present their collaborative projects with partner organizations ACTeon Environment and Natuurpunt to the public. These presentations were a side event of Water Projects Europe, organized by Water Europe, and also a part of Training Weeks for both EJWP Groups.
Results from the EJWP2 project were presented in a game format to interact with the audience, which included water-sector professionals. Here are some takeaways from the project presentations, as seen by our participants and the audience:
“I believe that the audience interest is a kind of proof that our results are a good basis for further development of citizen science approaches and public discussions on the potential of wetlands as nature-based water-saving reservoirs, said Mirela Sertić Perić, EJWP3 participant from Croatia.
“I liked the energy behind the game presentation and became more knowledgeable about water pollutants in a fun and simple way. It would be great for more on the information mainly regarding chemicals, said Cristian Carboni, with De Nora in Italy.
The game is a good way to encourage people to think more about the topic, and to present the results involving other people to participate and share knowledge. Questions in the game can also bring new topics that can be considered in the future. And people with different backgrounds can brainstorm on the issues and to offer solutions, said Borko Radivojevic, EJWP2 participant from Serbia.
“It is a nice method as you were able to capture the information about the pollutants and then disseminate it. It is challenging to pursue the research in a country that has the issue. I am curious about the game and I would like to play it again, said Ines Breda, with Eurowater A/S in Denmark.
About the EJWP collaborative projects
Wetlands protection
The EJWP3 project with Natuurpunt is supporting a citizen science campaign aimed at wetland preservation. This is an initiative to measure heat and drought impacts in city gardens and at nature reserves in Flanders. EJWP is surveying the effect of hot and dry periods on the wetlands, compared with the urban gardens of Mechelen, Belgium. Last March, EJWP3 participants placed sensors to gather related data in the Mechels Broek nature reserve of Flanders, a 100 hectare area owned and managed by Natuurpunt.
Aquatic ecosystems
The EJWP2 project with ACTeon Environment focuses on contaminants of emerging concern and anti-microbial resistance in aquatic ecosystems. This AquaticPollutantsTransNet project is part of a larger European effort to strengthen research on healthy aquatic ecosystems. EJWP2 have been interviewing stakeholders, including policy makers and academics, on needs of knowledge transfer to achieve broader objectives of the European initiative.
Contact info@juniorwaterprogramme.eu for more details on how to become involved as a young professional or as a water/environmental organization. We’ll also be happy to share more about EJWP projects and their impacts, as we build our water-smart community focused on Europe’s water future!