WATERDRIVE project team is approaching with the first project Communication Brief, which is incorporated in the Summary report from International Stakeholders Forum and project Kick-Off Meeting in March. For brief insight into meeting findings we would like to present main points in the form of Summary report.

SUMMARY REPORT FOR PARTNERS AND ASSOCIATED PARTNERS:

• We have to think and act differently from the traditional way of seeing agriculture, environment and agri-environment measures.
• The national context and project meetings on national level are important. Meaning that WATERDRIVE will implement a national project agenda.
• Farmers needs to be more involved in the project activities and meetings.
• There is a lack of experiences from work with catchment officers and sharing of experiences and more pilot projects are essential.
• The key factor is trusted advisors, knowledge and skilled people to execute the environmental initiatives. Whole catchment thinking is often missing
• Main focus in the WATERDRIVE project should be on water management related measures such as landscape water retention, irrigation, controlled drainage, constructed wetlands, sedimentation ponds, buffer strips and leave field management related measure outside the framework of this project;
• There is a current lack of consistency among the work packages in terms of which case study areas (watersheds) the project will work with.
• It was suggested to synchronize the case study areas so that they can be used in all WPs.
• Holistic approach in land ja water use planning, integrating the whole socio-ecological system.
• More incentives for farmers to adopt measures and more measures to promote joint action of farmers.
• Common understanding – ability to explain the necessity of these measures to common citizens.
• It was agreed that the WP4 partners develop a pilot case work plan (24 months) by 22 April the latest. The skype meeting will be held on 24 April.
• It was highlighted that the innovation issues need to be addressed.
• We have to think and act differently from the traditional way of seeing agriculture, environment and agri-environment measures.
• Education and training institutions have been so far neglected as beneficiaries and target groups.

Presentations from the project WATERDRIVE project Stakeholders Conference and Kick off meeting can be found here: http://zemniekusaeima.lv/projects/prezentacijas/.

Videos with short messages from the event participants, representing different stakeholder groups, can be found on the YouTube channel by using kea word “WATERDRIVE”, as well as on the project Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WATERDRIVEbalticsea/ .

WATERDRIVE. RigaMeeting. Summary report. 2019