Newsletter 2 - 2024

Over the last few decades, water resource sustainability has become a major issue. It is more urgent than ever to combat the degradation of ecosystems and therefore, of natural water resources, to protect and conserve biodiversity, and to meet the growing water demand of the world's population.

More information on the forum is available on the following website: https://worldwaterforum.org/.

For this exceptional occasion, the Water JPI has developed a video that is now available. The video, displayed in the Water4ll’s booth during the Forum, mainly presented the work achieved by the Water JPI, the list of partners involved and the seven transnational joint calls launched. The video also includes a short interview to the Water JPI’s coordinator, Dr Esther Díez Cebollero, who talks about the impact of the programme and its contribution to improved water management.

YouTube link : https://youtu.be/gv7RLvFsXqQ

The launch of the Knowledge Hub (KH) took place on a dedicated meeting on the 30^th and 31^st May in Paris, back-to-back to the Biodiversa+ dialogue event on restoration. The KH gathers 52 experts, selected after a process initiated at the beginning of the year through a call for interest.

The management committee of the Hub, composed of representatives of the WaterJPI, Water4All, ANR (France), TACR (Czech Republic), the BiodivRestore secretariat, and the BiodivRestore coordinator, met later on to discuss applications and select experts for the Hub. Selected experts come from BiodivRestore-funded projects as well as Green Deal projects (MERLIN, REST-COAST, SUPERB, WATERLANDS) and other relevant projects, including ongoing projects funded under Biodiversa, the LIFE Programme, and Horizon2020/Horizon Europe.

Experts are divided into two task forces, each supporting a different function. The first, the implementation task force, will work on "Strengthening the knowledge base on restoration targets and needs, based on a needs-driven approach." The second, the R&I task force, will work on "Advancing the R&I agenda."

During the two-day meeting, experts worked on advancing and designing their work plan for the remainder of the BiodivRestore Action and determining activities to support the implementation of restoration efforts at national and international levels.

WaterJPI and Water4All participated in the launch and presented their own endeavors and activities in which task forces would participate and help build, including strategies for living labs. In the coming months, the BiodivRestore Knowledge Hub experts will fine-tune the work plan to launch their first activities and develop funding solutions.

The final event of the AquaticPollutants Project will be held on 22 and 23 October in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The main objective of this final review is to allow project coordinators to present the results of the 18 funded projects and the Transfer project to the follow-up group.

In addition to these presentations, the conference will feature keynote speeches from members of the Water and Oceans JPIs, the Water4All partnership, the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, the European Research Executive Agency, and the recipient of the "Science Communication Innovation Challenge" award.

This event also serves as a networking platform for project coordinators, team members, early career researchers, and representatives from funding agencies. On this occasion, the conference will be open to the public, promoting engagement with relevant stakeholders and expanding the projects' influence and outreach. The structured agenda aims to foster collaboration and facilitate the exchange of knowledge among the projects.

Moreover, a brochure summarizing the main results and updated information of the projects will also be distributed during the conference.

Final conference Registration link: https://dechema.de/en/AquaticPollutants.html

Sd Wishees Knowledge hub (KH)

At the last General Assembly in November 2023 in Paris, the SD WISHEES consortium proposed to set up a Task Force for the launch of a KH, which will bring together mainly scientific experts in the fields of extreme hydroclimatic events and cultural heritage. The task force team is currently organizing the details of this KH, and will try to link it to other KH activities already launched in order to increase the overall impact of the network. The KH will focus on intangible cultural heritage, which despite its social importance, has not received much attention from previous initiatives.

Sd Wishees TAP action

In parallel with the set-up of the KH, partners keep on working on the launch of a TAP - Thematic Annual Programming action, which will be officially launched in January 2025. The ultimate purpose of the TAP is to  facilitate the alignment and coordination of national research programs through  the creation of a network of projects funded at the national level. All the projects selected for the TAP will focus on the same theme i.e. the impact of hydroclimatic extreme events on cultural heritage, either tangible (monuments, buildings, works of art, etc.), intangible (traditions, language, knowledge, etc.) or natural (landscapes, biodiversity, etc.).

So far four countries have confirmed their interest in the instrument (France, Moldova, Romania and Serbia) and discussions are ongoing with Greece.

National/ regional funding agencies interested in the TAP are invited to contact ANR at: anr-sdwishees@agencerecherche.fr

Participation at the WWF in Bali

SD-WISHEES hosted a workshop during the 10^th World Water Forum (WWF) that took place in Bali in May 2024. With the title “Extreme water events and indigenous peoples: how ancestral knowledge can support climate adaptation measures”, the workshop aimed at creating awareness about the link between extreme water events and the effects on our cultural heritage. It counted with the participation from UNESCO and indigenous leaders from Nepal and Canada.