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The
project dealt with real case studies, involving six
study sites located in coastal areas over the Mediterranean, both in the
North and South. The project took into account fresh water bodies as well
as transitional waters (the estuarine part of the system), where most of the
demographic concentration occurs.
Key
stakeholders were contacted at the chosen sites, and agreed to
collaborate in the project providing the necessary information on water
supply, uses and demand, and expressed interest in the project outputs.
International multidisciplinary teams were established for each case study, and focal technical meetings
were promoted locally, involving key stakeholders.
Special
attention was adopted to involve women stakeholders, for their
specific role in water uses. The first
information flow was down-top, and the issue/s specific for
each case study were proposed as such by the stakeholders.
This
approach provided a perception of the relationships of the local community
with the water, and the results have constituted the baseline for
discussion on guidelines for water management with the stakeholders.
The
research described the system
qualitatively in a conceptual model, also defining spatial limits for the
system and consequently the
survey. Significant elements of the systems, with relation to the issue/s
identified by the stakeholders, were then estimated quantitatively, to build
databases, develop quantitative models and identify trends. Impacts were then assessed and analysed,
searching for early indicators of changes.
Stakeholders
and local communities participated in providing existing information. In
this case the flow of information was in both directions: researchers explained
their methodologies and research results, local stakeholders contributed with their knowledge and
perception of the issue/s.
Alternative
management strategies for the case studies were then developed and
proposed to stakeholders for evaluation. In
this case, the flow of information was top-down, and horizontal,
with exchanges among experts and stakeholders.
The
final product, i.e. management strategies and guidelines for
management of water bodies in Mediterranean coastal area, has been proposed
to stakeholders at the national and international levels. In this case, as
well as for other products of the project (databases, protocols for use of
bioindicators, monitoring plans, etc.) the flow of information has been from the project (partners and local stakeholders involved) to the
exterior. The project contributed to popular education through the involvement of the local
communities, and offered international training to students and young
researchers, both from Mediterranean Partner Countries and Europe, in the different phases of the
project.
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