Summary

The project focused on enabling farmers to act successfully as water managers in changing climatic conditions. The project presented water risk management practices that will reduce the consequences of flooding, droughts, water shortage and nutrient transport.

The emphasis on the farmer as a water manager is contributing towards implementing EU policies, such as the Water Framework Directive. The final result of the project was a water management concept to use as a manual for farmers and a set of recommendations on future land and water management planning.

Aquarius is also represented in the cluster project WaterCAP.

Lead Beneficiary

The Danish Agricultural Advisory Service, National Centre, Denmark
Irene Asta Wiborg
iaw@landscentret.dk
Tel: +45 87405449

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Beneficiaries per Country

Background and Aim

Aim
Aquarius aimed to develop the farmer as water manager able to practice sustainable farming under climatic changes with due respect to environmental protection. Farmers can take an active role in the positive management of water resources through partnerships with other farmers, water boards, local and national government.

Within this overall goal Aquarius aimed to: 

• Identify common and particular constraints on farmers successfully acting as water managers
• Develop innovative mixes of technical, financial, institutional approaches to integrated land-water management by farmers
• Test approaches to participation in the cooperative planning and implementation of land-water management initiatives by agencies and farmers
• Incorporate state-of-the-art research outcomes into management and policy (particularly from climatic changes, agro-ecology and governance)
• Increase the interaction between land-water stakeholders both locally and across boundaries (local, national and EU) and across sectors (e.g. land, water and recreation)
• Ensure a legacy by creating demonstration sites and stakeholder networks that will continue to encourage further innovation

Background
Across large areas of rural Europe there is an observable increase in the incidence of extremes of flows and of droughts. Intense rainfall events increase erosion and the input of nutrients and pathogens to water and low flows in drier summers hinder the ability of waters to dilute diffuse inputs with negative consequences for the ecosystem. Such changes are an additional challenge for meeting or maintaining good ecological status for water bodies in the NSR as described in the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

As a response to these problems Aquarius will focus on the implementation of sustainable, integrated, land-water management through engaging with land managers. The partnerships developed in Aquarius will contribute to a balanced implementation of European environmental related policies e.g. European Climate Change Program; the DG Agriculture Climate Action and the Common Agricultural Policy and particularly the WFD. Experiences from participation in EU projects like No Regret and AGWAPLAN will be included in this search for balanced solutions.

This project recognises farmers as key actors for the sustainable management of water and their capacity to aggravate or mitigate extreme flows, droughts and water quality. Successful integrated land-water management depends on developing inclusive partnerships and processes that facilitate the initiation, planning, negotiation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of initiatives.

Successful land-water management partnerships, however, also depend on the existence of appropriate institutional, economic and governance arrangements. Aquarius will assess where there are barriers to farmers acting as water managers and how these may be overcome.

The Aquarius project worked on how to adapt to and reduce risks posed to society and nature by a changing climate.

Aquarius achieved an improved understanding on how to act in order to secure sustainable long lasting solutions. The core idea was to find ways for farmers to become water managers capable of practicing sustainable farming under climatic changes.

In seven pilot studies, Aquiarius experimented on how to find ways of handling droughts, flooding and nutrient leaching through partnerships among different stakeholders. A common baseline report was compiled giving an overview of ecological, economic, sociological, policy and legal and future climate challenges.

A number of key methods for farmers to deal with climate change concerning technical methods; financial methods and participatory planning were identified and shared in the partnership.

The partnership shared conclusions on implementation of technical an advisory measures in order to find an improved transnational approach to implementing plans under WFD etc. in the future.

The Main Findings of the Aquarius project have been compiled in a magazine. It also describes the successful use of a water management concept including the problem solution wheel.

7 fact sheets from the project have been developed:

Active cooperation
Water sensing systems
Multi-functional wetlands
Natural flood management
Specific environmental plans
Rain harvesting
Willow planting

Finally, Recommendations on future land and water management planning have been agreed upon in the partnership. The focus is on understanding the key role of participatory partnerships in order to secure long lasting sustainable solutions.

Project News

Watch our videos! 10/11/2011