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GOVAQUA project

Submitted by Philippe Lanceleur on

GOVAQUA is a research and innovation project funded by the European Union through the Horizon Europe programme. Running from 2023 to 2027, the project brings together partners from across Europe to support a fundamental shift toward sustainable and equitable water use. GOVAQUA addresses major water challenges—such as water scarcity, pollution, and ecosystem degradation—by focusing on improving how water is governed at all levels.

To achieve this, the project explores what a “sustainability transition” means in water governance, and develops tools to assess and accelerate this transition. GOVAQUA investigates innovative governance approaches in areas such as:

  • Legislation and regulation,

  • Multi-stakeholder participation and collaboration,

  • Economic and financial instruments,

  • Digital solutions for data and knowledge sharing.

These approaches are tested and co-developed with local actors in six Living Labs located in Finland, France, Spain, Romania, the UK, and at a transboundary site between Finland and Sweden.

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What is the GOVAQUA Online Academy?

The GOVAQUA Online Academy is a platform designed to share the project’s key results in a format that is accessible, practical, and relevant for those involved in water governance across Europe.

Rather than showcasing the project itself or detailing its internal structure, the Academy provides:

  • Scientific and theoretical insights explained in context, including definitions and methodological choices,

  • Practical outcomes such as governance solutions and good practices, with available information on costs, timelines, and actors involved,

  • Connections to related projects, including sister initiatives like INNwater and RETOUCH Nexus.

This platform is aimed at:

  • EU and national policy-makers,

  • River Basin Management Authorities,

  • Water-using sectors (agriculture, energy, industry, water supply and sanitation),

  • NGOs and citizen groups involved in water and environmental issues.

By turning research findings into actionable knowledge, the Online Academy helps ensure that those shaping water policies and practices can understand, use, and adapt innovative governance solutions to meet Europe’s water challenges—now and into the future.

 

 

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