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In the classical Institutions for the Earth (1993), Peter Haas and Robert Keohane insisted upon international scientific cooperation to achieve global objectives in environmental conservation. The institutions they refer are sets of rules and practices “that prescribe behavioral role, constraint activities and shape expectations”. They might be bureaucratic organizations, conventions or scientific networks. It’s not only a matter of denomination: a center or a network, in one or several places, dedicated to sustainability or water security problems (that is another new global concept that doesn’t make more sense than the former one, sustainability, that seems today not only out of date, but defeated by 30 years of public policies). One must take into account that to study water issues, the organization of scientific work must be incorporated to the analysis, to avoid the same formulation of abstract concepts (sustainability, security, etc.), that pretend to come from nowhere but lead to nothing.
URBAN WATER: EU/USA COMMON MODELS
Objectives
The overall objective of WP4 is to expand an integrated approach (water resources, supply, environment), one of the main thematic area of the UMI, n°1 “Water and urban development”. This area includes today current programs on “Water and urban sprawl (France/USA)”, “Water networks in Arizona growth corridors”, and “Tools and methods for urban water management (remote sensing, DSS)” developed with the UA Hydrology and Water Resources Department and School of Natural Resources and Environment (remote sensing program, urban and regional stakeholders). To prepare the “urban water agenda” for SWC is a major goal of WP4. Since the establishment of the UMI in 2008, urban water is one of the major areas of activity in collaboration with hydrologists, geographers, urban planners, remote sensing specialists at the University of Arizona (partner 2) and also others: CUNY (New York City University), Princeton University and research centers in France and Latin America.
Specific objectives include:
- to develop an integrated urban water approach that will be used throughout the project (water supply and sanitation networks from water resources to the environment protection);
- to identify key scientific and technological themes relevant to the field of urban water and evaluate existing capacities within these thematic areas and identifying gaps.
Description of work and role of partners
WP4 will be led by partner 1. Beyond the regular collaboration with partner 2 (UA), a substantial collaboration will involve partner 4 for urban water demand and partner 3 on governance and participation. Partner 6 will be a key partner to develop a new axis on water in cities in developing countries (access to water). A specific task on remote sensing and GIS will jointly be developed with partner 5 (BAS-NIGGG) and UA.
Task 4-1: Rethinking urban water: the need for an integrated approach
To expand the activities currently developed by the UMI in the field of urban water implies the need for a more integrated and comparative approach. To promote an innovative approach of urban water the watershed scale will be used, as well as “hydrology approach” (the basin wide) than a human, economic, functional definition. Selected regional/urban watersheds will be identified to establish comparative research and integrate multiple water dimensions. Starting the second year, the SWAN central seminar and the workshops will allow integration of European students and scholars with the US scholars and students into specific activities, related to water in cities, smart growth and water, “greening”, recycling water. An international conference and a publication will be organized on Changing paradigms in urban water studies, management and education.
Months 12-45, with partners 2, 3, 4 and 6
Task 4-2: Development of a geo-spatial database and visualization tools
Developing a new understanding of urban water and our ability to develop an integrated physical and social modeling structure will require detailed knowledge of the relationships between changing urban land use/cover, population dynamics and water supply and demand. Initially we will utilize the knowledge represented by the partner groups to establish the spatial and temporal resolution requirements for these datasets to fulfill the modeling objectives. Through the use of a set of surveys of partners we will first establish the required resolutions. Then we will create a set of prototype datasets utilizing available remote sensing, census and water supply and demand data for 3-4 of cities. These urban datasets will be shared with the partner groups enabling subsequent modeling efforts with a consequent set of data for all partners to evaluate and utilize.
Months 6-36, with partners 5, 4 and 1
Task 4-3: Urban water in the framework of stakeholders workshops
WP4 along with WP2 and WP1 and together with partner 6 will contribute and facilitate participatory and collaborative urban water planning and conflict resolution activities. It will prepare the specific urban data for these workshops to arrive at common definitions of problems, scenarios and management alternatives. One of the stakeholders workshops will be organized within this task (D 1.3) as part of the International conference on changing paradigms in urban water studies, management and education (D 4.2). As in task 1-3, these workshops will lead stakeholders (mangers, decision makers, NGO) to collaboratively discuss and elaborate different management alternatives and strategies to cope with future changes in water demand, availability and conservation within an integrated approach.
Months 12-36, with partners 2, 3 and 6
List of deliverables
D 4.1: Working papers: “Geo-spatial database and visualization tools”
D 4.2: Publication (edited book): “Water and urban development”
FEASIBILITY STUDY
Objectives
By preparing a final report on the Feasibility study, we will work on a list of activities and activities and actions to be implemented to open new scientific collaborations and suggest new institutional opportunities.
Our objectives are :
- to analyse the strenghs and weakness of the activities carried out within this project to open UMI3157 to additional European research partners
- to assess the external opportunities and threats to this venture
- to assist in the identification of solutions to identified problem areas in order to pave the way for smooth implementation of the envisioned consortium.
Quality control and evaluation of project feasibility and progress will take place throughout the duration of the project.
Description of work and role of partners
Task 5.1: Guidance and assistance to prepare the Feasibility Study
The analysis will began with an initial scoping of project objectives, project design and scientific content. In this task, the CNRS will organize the work and initiate the collaborations with the partners in order to prepare the Feasibility study. CNRS offers qualified staff to give us a global view as regards all formal, legal and administrative issues that well might occur in our work.
Moreover, each participant will ask for his own legal department support to prepare the Feasibility study.
Task 5.2: Risk assessment analysis
Risks are an inherent element of all action. In order to avoid failure of our Feasibility study we will conduct a risk analysis (D7.3). Evaluation criteria will provide the basis for objective assessment of the alignment of project developments with the Project objectives and will be defined based upon the results of the initial scoping and will be agreed upon with the Project partners.
This report will:
- Establish a procedure to identify and monitor risks
- Take measures to suppress or mitigate their effects (creation of tools, actions to be undertaken…)
The CNRS will work closely with its Legal office in Paris and with the Partners legal departments resources.
Task 5.3: Final report on the Feasibility Study
Consequent to our action plan and to the risk analysis assessment, we will start to work on the Feasibility study itself: we will produce a report that will help the UMI3157 prepare the way for opening our institutional arrangement to additional Member States or Associated Countries’ research organizations.
In this task, the Stakeholders Committee will strongly contribute to the report. He will:
- produce strategic scientific orientations
- suggest new institutional opportunities
- link our field of activity with on-going and future European policies.
The report will give detailed information on how we will reach our objective to create a EU/USA Sustainable Water Centre (SWC) in the USA. It will include but not be restricted to the relevance of research activities for EU policy processes (science policy, water policy), suitability of potential partner expertise and partner aims, and organizational and financial viability of potential cooperation set-ups.
List of deliverables
D5.1: Short report on the action plan to build the Feasibility study
D5.2: Stakeholders Committee recommendations for buiding the Feasibility study 1
D5.3: Report on the risk analysis assessment
D5.4: Stakeholders Committee recommendations for buiding the Feasibility study 2
D5.5: Stakeholders Committee recommendations for buiding the Feasibility study 3
D5.6: Final report on the new institutional arrangement
MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
Objectives
The Management strategy, organized by the CNRS, will operate to create a high degree of integration among the partners, crucial for achieving the SWAN project objectives. Work Package 6 will ensure an efficient management structure as well as the capacity to react to any problems.
This will be possible due to regular communication and meetings (physical or electronic) between all the nodes of the network. WP 6 will also organize the activities to produce the three main reports that will lead to the Sustainability Water Center.
Description of work and role of partners
Task 6.1: Project management
This task will organize the work plan according to the management structure (Governing Board and Work Packages) which will also be used as the monitoring plan.
- Starting and monitoring the tasks
- Completion of the deliverables in time
- Resolution of emerging problems.
This task will organize the agendas of the meetings and other informal exchanges (videoconference, mail, phone and collaborative platform).
Task 6.2: Financial and administrative management
- Carry out the Consortium Agreement signature process;
- Formalize the management and collaboration rules within the consortium;
- Set up the collaborative platform;
- Manage the project financial issues;
- Receive the advance payments from the European Commission;
- Distribute the European contribution to the partners;
- Implement the Certificate of Financial Statements;
- Receive and compile the progress reports before sending them to the European Commission;
- Organize the meetings;
- Promote the socio-economic action plan within the network.
List of deliverables
D6.1: Consortium Agreement signed
D6.2: Report on management and collaboration rules
D6.3: First Consortium Report: “An agenda for a Sustainable Water Center”
D6.4: Mid-term Consortium Report: “Building integrated water research for sustainability”
D6.5: Report on the socio-economic action plan
D6.6: Final Strategic Report: “Towards a Sustainable Water Center”
DISSEMINATION AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
Objectives
The Dissemination strategy, led by the CNRS, aims to disseminate information on the activities and ongoing or emerging objectives of the SWAN project to all relevant parties (European scientific community, stakeholders and policy markers, public).
By promoting the analysis and representation of approaches and tools used in the project, by preparing dissemination products and channels and by aligning the dissemination strategy with relevant EU programs and policies calendar, SWAN intends to ensure a systematic dissemination of the support actions objectives and outcomes.
Description of work and role of partners
Task 7.1: To design and implement a dissemination plan
This first task will define the Plan for Dissemination and if necessary to update it during its execution. The definition of this plan will take into account two important needs: (i) the identification of the target audience; and (ii) the various dissemination channels used by the partners.
The dissemination plan will be drawn up as follows:
- involvement of the stakeholders and dissemination to policy-markers;
- the main idea is to involve in the dissemination strategy stakeholders who will improve policy-markers’ interest as well as to increase the EU research capacity and implement new collaborations within the joint institute or with additional Member or Associated States;
- web portal on the website;
- newsletters and articles;
- dissemination to the general public.
This dissemination will take different forms described in details en section 3 Impact. We can quote the website, press releases in well-established newspapers, leaflets publication or articles on EU websites… The aim is also to maximize coverage in press, radio and TV.
The work package leader will collaborate closely with the project manager and the project coordinator to implement the dissemination plan. To implement the dissemination strategy, they will be in charge of the dissemination schedule as well as collecting the dissemination components before submitting them through appropriate channels and helping to organize the dissemination. They will make a report during each Progress meeting on new dissemination opportunities and improvements to be carried out in the updated dissemination plan with:
- suggestions on the content for stakeholders and policy-markers;
- coordinating the partners’ suggestions.
Moreover, the work package leader will ensure with the management team:
- management of confidentiality issues;
- communication outside the network;
- identification of the next development steps.
Task 7.2: To set up the SWAN project website and collaborative platform
The project website will be established at the beginning of the project by the project manager. This website will be one of the most dissemination tools with:
- the collaborative platform (private access for the consortium members) where the partners will upload and download internal reports as well as find and share information about the project activities;
- the website portal dedicated to the scientific community and stakeholders to foster new collaborations (with relevant information on the Feasibility study);
- general information for the public.
The website will also be used to implement the recruitment strategy within the network and will provide links with other related European projects and/or ongoing European or international policies. Moreover, e-meetings will be organized each 3 months between the management team and the WP teams on the work progress to resolve any emerging problems.
Task 7.3: Dissemination material
The purpose is to prepare and produce dissemination material to implement the dissemination strategy. Standardized printed dissemination material (brochures, newsletter…) will be produced for dissemination purposes. The printed dissemination material includes the project brochures, the newsletter, the project information package and the project posters.
Task 7.4: International conferences
SWAN project international conferences will be organized to keep informed all the stakeholders concerning the progress and achievement of the project within a wider EU policy perspective. To minimize travel costs, these will be held in conjunction with other project events. Two international conferences will be held in month 24 (in the framework of WP4: “Changing paradigms in urban water studies, management and education”) and in month 48 (final international conference: “An agenda for the Sustainable Water Center”).
List of deliverables
D7.1: Website and collaborative platform established
D7.2: Report on the plan for dissemination
D7.3: Report on the International conference 1
D7.4: Report on the International conference 2 (final conference)