Edito – A brief summary of activities during the first semester 2023
I would like to open the summer issue of the Water JPI’s newsletter by offering our readers a quick review of the activities carried out during the first semester of 2023.
Partners have pursued the activities of running projects.
The final evaluation meeting of projects funded within the framework of IC4WATER took place on the 9th February. On this occasion, project coordinators presented the results obtained and talked about the follow-up of some research activities initiated during the lifetime of IC4WATER. The Water JPI Coordination team is now compiling results for their inclusion in the Water JPI’s open data and open access platform. As presented in this issue, a 2-day event took place in Spain on the 31st May and 1st June: the final review meeting of WaterWorks2017 funded projects and the mid-term review of AquaticPollutants projects. This was not only an exceptional opportunity to have a better understanding of the results of projects, but also to enable networking and the sharing of knowledge and experiences.
The Coordination team has also completed a detailed analysis of thematic areas of common interest for both the Water JPI and the Era-Net Biodiversa+, as part of the work conducted in the BiodivRestore project. The analysis also looks at thematic commonalities between the Water4All Partnership and the Biodiversity Partnership, which are taking over the funding of research and innovation activities in the next few years. The information provided aims to feed the strategic orientations of both partnerships.
Last but not least, the SD-WISHEES project (website under preparation) kicked-started activities. Some of Water JPI members are represented in the Consortium (funding agencies from France, Moldova, Romania). Amongst other objectives, activities will lead to the launch of a Thematic Annual Programming (TAP) action in the area of hydroclimatic extreme events.
The first semester of 2023 has been particularly marked by the development of the Water JPI’s post-2025 strategy, when all the projects supported by the European Commission will come to an end. Indeed, national funding agencies are putting their human and financial efforts in the implementation of Water4All’s activities. In this context, it is essential to determine the role of the Water JPI in the years to come. The Coordination team has been working on a number of scenarios that were presented to the Governing Board in June. Water JPI’s members will be consulted on those scenarios in September. The results of that consultation, and the strategy to be implemented by the Water JPI from the end of 2025 onwards, will be presented during the next Governing Board meeting on the 16th November 2023. It should also be noted the participation of the Water JPI, in collaboration with the Water4All Partnership, to the Sustainability Research and Innovation (SRI) Congress that took place in Panama from the 26th to 30th June. The congress, organised by Future Earth/ Belmont Forum, intends to inspire action and promote a sustainability transformation.
All in all, a very busy and important semester full of operational and strategic activities. We will keep you duly informed of future progress and the decisions taken by our Governing Board. I wish to take this opportunity, to wish all the Water JPI community a wonderful summer. Take care,
Esther Díez