ClimEx-PE's Inaugural SAB Meeting Sets the Stage for Future Success

On January 29, 2025, the ClimEx-PE project held its first Stakeholder Advisory Board (SAB) meeting, marking a significant milestone in our journey towards innovative water management solutions. The meeting brought together a diverse group of experts and stakeholders, fostering a collaborative environment to address pressing water-related challenges.

Participants:

• ClimEx-PE Team: Ignacio Cazcarro (UNIZAR), Judit Mádl-Szőnyi (ELTE), Brigitta Czauner (ELTE), Jessica Lillquist (UU), Katrin Merfeld (UU), Andrea Velich (ELTE)
• SAB Members: Lluis Sala (Consorci d’Aigües Costa Brava Girona, Spain), Mátyás Farkas (WWF Hungary), Daniela Benedicto (Acacia Water, Netherlands), Joana Mencos (Catalan Water Partnership, Spain), Taly Hunter Williams (Geological Survey Ireland), Joe Gallagher (National Federation of Group Water Schemes), Helen Barbosa (Södertörn University, Sweden)

Meeting Summary:

The meeting began with an introduction of the stakeholders and project partners, followed by a comprehensive presentation of the project's goals and methodologies. The ClimEx-PE project aims to extend local scale Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) techniques to a landscape scale by leveraging natural groundwater dynamics. This approach seeks to address water transport in the saturated zone, which is often overlooked in MAR projects.

Key discussions centered around the development of an open-access Decision Support Tool, designed to incorporate socio-economic indicators and cater to various user levels. The importance of stakeholder engagement was emphasized, with a focus on adapting methods to different target groups and fostering communication between farmers from different countries to share best practices and address regulatory challenges.

The SAB members shared insights from their respective regions, highlighting the diverse water management issues they face, from severe droughts in Spain to flooding in Ireland. The discussions underscored the need for policy changes, innovative solutions, and collaborative efforts to manage water resources effectively.

The meeting concluded with a call for continued co-creation and policy learning, involving diverse stakeholders in dialogue and collaboration to enhance MAR practices and support sustainable water management.