HarmoniCOP Harmonising Collaborative Planning

Country: EU Projects
Start Date:   1/1/2002         Duration: 42 months         Project Type: 
Contract Number: EVK1-CT-2001-00090
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Wider impacts / sustainability-->Social
Water and sanitation-->Water and sanitation Overview
Water resources and their management -->River basin management
Project objectives:
Stakeholder and public participation (in the following referred to as PP) in river basin management planning is a prerequisite for the successful implementation 
of the European water framework directive. A successful implementation implies that environmental objectives are achieved in an economically efficient
and socially beneficial fashion. However, the scientific knowledge base regarding understanding and design of multi-scale stakeholder and public participation
processes of social learning is quite fragmented. One has recognised as well for years the presence of a huge gap between outcomes of integrated models and river
basin management practice, but there has been little success in bridging the gap. Too often information is seen as an objective input into decision-making,
ignoring issues such as uncertainty and implicit policy choices. Rarely is information and are information tools seen as a means to promote and inform discussions
between stakeholders and thus foster social learning. An improved understanding of processes of social learning is a prerequisite to implement novel management
strategies and to bridge the science-policy gap.
Project Summary:
The aim of the HarmoniCOP project (2002 -2005) is to increase the understanding of participatory river basin management planning (RBMP) in Europe. RBMP is 
the integrated cross-sectoral planning and management of river basins if necessary across political and administrative borders. The project's objective
is to generate practical information about participation processes in river basin management and to support the implementation of the public participation
provisions of the European Water Framework Directive.
Achieved Objectives:
The handbook on PP will provide a basis for the development of improved integrated models and decision support tools. Users will be developers of integrated 
management models and decision support tools in both, academia and business, river basin management authorities and consortia who will find guidance on how
to design a stakeholder process for developing a river basin management plan. This will support the implementation of the public participation provisions
of the Water Framework Directive. The project will lead to the accumulation of human (build up of individual expertise) and social capital inherent in the network
of researchers and stakeholder groups.
Product Descriptions:

            
Additional Information:

            
Project Resources:

Learning together to manage together – Improving participation in water management.
Weblink:
http://www.harmonicop.uos.de
Funding Programme(s): 
EC Framework Programme 5
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  03/10/2007 14:11:00