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Description
The project addresses the intertwined common challenges of the sea-land chain by treating the pollution problems of eutrophic and anoxic coastal ecosystems (sea) that result from land-based and other pollution sources and by focusing on green procurement of products and services in wastewater management (land). Our main objective is to address these challenges via a dual approach.
First, with short-term restoration measures in the sea part of the chain: in addressing pollution, freshwater and wastewater management problems, we focus on monitoring systems and restoration methods in the pilot areas. Knowledge-sharing on use of geoengineering materials will result in remediation of ecosystems and achievement of “BLUE” waters. Second, land measures focus on identifying green products and services in wastewater management. This will result in identifying the green means of fostering demand-driven transnational eco-innovation via new processes, moving away from negative local practices, to achieve the “GREENWAY”. The project will change the current situation by taking up the green/blue method in coastal ecosystem restoration and in wastewater management, and transferring these principles across regions/nations.
Solutions will be proposed by establishing blue and green criteria, in cohesion with EU criteria/ labelling, e.g. oxygen level in water, trophic state of coastal ecosystems, fish food in hatchery, fertilizers in agriculture, from which whole EU stands to benefit. Success will be measured via indicators, e.g. anoxic depth, nutrients concentration, oxygen level, no. forecasts, no. warnings, no. actors using platform, and by multi-criteria evaluation.
Sustainability and transferability of project achievements is based on interaction between the project and its target groups through its platform and pilots. The pilots will show the methodology to be used in order to reduce pollutants and improve water quality.
Summary of project results
The project focused on the development of innovative practices to combat eutrophication and anoxia in water bodies, wastewater, and aquaculture effluents, by a dual approach in two pilots: in Aitoliko Lagoon and Liopetri Area.
In Aitoliko a respective partner performed innovative mesoscale experiments in the water and improved the quality by 50%. They also installed a monitoring platform and developed an early warning system for the anoxia. In Liopetri, mesoscale experiments with microalgae cultures to remove nutrients from the aquaculture effluents were performed, and the quality was improved by 30%. On land, the project focused on green procurement services in wastewater management, developing transnational databases, tools & guidelines, through knowledge-sharing and sustainable practices for a broader set of EU regions. By an integrated approach: all partners, public and private entities, contributed to 2 pilot testing, transferring actions, and providing key information to PAs, SMEs, CSOs, and general public. Evaluation of results led to 3 capitalization events, including 2 transfer seminars/webinars/workshops. Public entities had a vital role in project pilots and common policy recommendations. In capitalization events, participants shared lessons learned, obstacles, solutions, agreements, and systematized capitalization methods with target groups. The project culminated in the Final Capitalization Event in Greece, presenting impact result indicators, and making recommendations to EU and local/regional/national policymakers.
Capacity building was the result of network collaboration, promoting interactive communication among PAs, SMEs, and research institutions. Also, 11 policies were influenced via input to public or stakeholder consultations, actively promoting the use of research or evidence, via lobbying, or campaigns and advocacy initiatives for long-term ecological and economic impacts. The project capitalized on the results, integrating findings from the green Procurement System-Design, and development of 3 innovative restoration approaches. Finally, the innovative solutions to support best practices for EU&A management led to the development of a holistic White Paper with ready-to-use replicable results.
Summary of bilateral results
The Project included two donor partners and four beneficiary partners, representing both public and private entities.The Project built solid bilateral relations through collaboration among administrative entities, private sector organizations, academic institutions, and members of civil society through the development of the early warning system for the detection of an anoxic crisis in the pilot of Aitoliko Lagoon and the hydrodynamic and ecological modeling of the lagoon. Both donor and beneficiary project partners were actively involved in planning, developing, and calibrating the early warning system to achieve the Project''s objectives. Additional components of the Project''s bilateral relations encompass cultural cooperation, public awareness and understanding, and general knowledge of each partner’s challenges and expected societal impact of the solutions across the facets of each partner’s state. Therefore, the Project included activities to train the Public Authorities and the general public, to be informed of Aitoliko Lagoon''s quality status results, drawn from the monitoring platform the donor partner developed. In addition, by organizing the Open Day and Technical Events, it was clear that the Project''s innovative practices could quickly be adopted to restore eutrophic and anoxic ecosystems in donor and beneficiary states outside the pilots.The Project emphasized exchanging all Project Partners'' experiences between the donor and beneficiary states by actively participating in the Project''s activities, planning, organization. Capitalization and Communication Plan was being a basis for dialogue between donor and beneficiary states partners, continuing the bilateral collaboration into a deeper analysis of the impacts.Finally, the donor and beneficiary partners plan to continue the bilateral collaboration, as the topic of coastal restoration is within their core activities. This will include collaboration in future research work and research proposals.