Euwi - European Water Initiative

The Research component seeks to build on the existing European experience and joint endeavours with developing countries and support the development of innovative approaches and new paradigms commensurate with the changing social, economic and environmental context.

 

This implies appropriate forms of communication of scientific knowledge to/among all stakeholders of the initiative, enhanced dissemination of information and improved knowledge management of joint European and developing countries efforts in international water research and scientific co-operation and the support of local institutions and human resources to this effect.

  

Initiative leading the component activity : SPLASH

SPLASH is the name of the European Union Water Initiative Research Area Network (EUWI ERA-Net). It is a consortium of 16 ministries, funding agencies and national research and technological development authorities from 11 European countries.

 

Why SPLASH?

Effective water research can play an important role in supporting developing nations to meet the challenge of providing poor people with access to safe water supplies and improved sanitation. Previous research in the water sector has generally been programmed and managed in isolation by different donors such that overlap and duplication has occurred, and specific gaps and issues may not have been addressed.

 

How can SPLASH help?

SPLASH is working towards making the concept of a 'European Research Area' a reality by bringing together appropriate research partner programmes from across Europe in a coherent and coordinated way. Combining national research programmes in this way means that more ambitious activities can be tackled than are possible when programmes are working independently of each other. The project focus is Africa and the Mekong region.

 

How does SPLASH work?

Within the context of water and sanitation research, SPLASH will:

• coordinate between existing programmes to minimize duplication and identify gaps;
• ensure that good research management practice is known and used;
• improve knowledge sharing between researchers and practitioners to speed up the transfer of research findings into policy and practice; and 
• agree a research agenda and jointly funded activities which can benefit from a transnational approach, with European partners working together.

The major tasks of the component include:

the collection, synthesis and dissemination of information,

the promotion of the use of scientific knowledge in solving societal problems identified by the water-related Millennium Development Goals,

the targetting and promotion of research that helps reduce future risks and prepare coping strategies,

the organisation and co-ordination of a Working Group with representatives from EU Member States and other social actors (private sector, NGOs) to promote the links from knowledge to action in support of the MDGs, and

the interface with the other components and activities of the EUWI, including nurturing contacts with strategic partners etc.