Water4All’s SRIA
The Water4All Partnership released its Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) on the 30th September 2022. The SRIA sets out water topics for which research and innovation activities are recommended in order to secure water for all. Topics are grouped into different key themes related to the value of water and circular economy, ecosystems and biodiversity, sustainable water management, water and health, infrastructures, governance and international cooperation.
The SRIA is considered the “backbone” of the Water4All Partnership as it defines the strategic orientations of the programme. As such, the SRIA will guide partners in the preparation of annual implementation plans and the analysis of thematic synergies with other European and international initiatives on water.
The release of the SRIA takes place after more than two years of work in which partners have analysed strategic agendas of other water initiatives (e.g. Water JPI and other JPIs, PRIMA, EurAqua network, Water Europe), and have followed a consultative approach for the collection of stakeholders’ views on water challenges and knowledge needs. A first consultation of the Water JPI’s Advisory Boards took place at the end of 2020. This was followed by a public consultation (December 2020 – January 2021), and a new consultation to the Advisory Boards and partners representatives in the Water4All Partnership in the first quarter of 2021. The public consultation provided more than 90 responses from 19 European countries, India, Norway, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States. The process was completed by targeted interviews to representatives from international organisations, water authorities, technology platforms, non-governmental organisations, funding institutions and networks of research and innovation operators.
Partners are very attentive to future developments in water policy and emerging water challenges. An updated version of the SRIA is then due in 2025. As part of the update process, partners will organise two stakeholder consultative workshops (the first one in February 2023 and the second one in 2024), a foresight exercise, an analysis of strategic documents of partner initiatives, and a new public consultation. You will find all activities related to the SRIA update very soon on the Water4All’s website and newsletter!