Content
The OPTAIN project hosts a variety of workshops that are integral to its communication and dissemination strategy. These workshops serve multiple purposes, including stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and policy development. The workshops are categorized based on their objectives and target audiences, ensuring that each event is tailored to the specific needs and goals of the participants.
1. Multi-Actor Reference Group (MARG) Workshops
Objective: The MARG workshops are designed to bring together local stakeholders—including farmers, environmental NGOs, policymakers, and scientists—to collaborate on the co-creation and refinement of NSWRM strategies. These workshops emphasize a participatory approach, ensuring that the voices of all relevant actors are heard and integrated into the planning and decision-making processes.
Format: Typically, these workshops are highly interactive, featuring group discussions, scenario planning, and hands-on activities. The collaborative nature of MARG workshops helps to build consensus among stakeholders and foster a sense of ownership over the NSWRM strategies developed.
Example: The Berlin MARG Workshop (February 2021) focused on the design and implementation of riparian buffers and retention ponds. Participants, including local farmers, government officials, and environmental organizations, worked together to develop tailored solutions that addressed the specific challenges of the region.
2. Regional Dialogue Events
Objective: Regional Dialogue Events are designed to address the specific challenges and opportunities related to NSWRMs within different European biogeographic regions. They aim to bring together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and civil society to discuss scientific findings, share practical experiences, and foster policy dialogue that supports the implementation of NSWRMs. By tailoring the discussions to regional contexts, these events enhance both the environmental and socio-economic performance of small agricultural catchments.
Format: These events are typically organized as hybrid conferences or online sessions, combining expert presentations, case study discussions, policy dialogues, and panel debates. The format encourages cross-sectoral learning, engagement with local stakeholders, and the development of actionable strategies to address pressing water management issues such as drought, pollution, and desertification.
Examples:
- Continental Regional Dialogue with ICPDR (Sarajevo, April 2025)
- Organized as part of the ICPDR Pollution Management Expert Group and Nutrients Task Group meetings, this session featured OPTAIN partners presenting the project’s goals, modelling approaches, and case study insights from Germany, Slovenia, and Hungary. A strong emphasis was placed on how policy frameworks can support the implementation of NSWRMs in the Danube River Basin, creating a valuable platform where research and policy perspectives intersected.
- Pannonian Regional Dialogue Conference (Budapest, May 2025)
- Held on the occasion of the International Desertification and Drought Day, this hybrid conference focused on strengthening agricultural resilience to climate change, particularly drought, through NSWRMs. Policymakers, researchers, and practitioners from across Europe (including Hungary, Slovenia, Czechia, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and Turkey) shared national strategies, research findings, and local best practices. Discussions addressed policy alignment between EU and national levels, the role of modelling tools, and practical implementation challenges. A dedicated session showcased hands-on examples, such as Slovenia’s catchment-scale water retention measures and WWF Hungary’s projects, highlighting the importance of farmer engagement and cross-border cooperation.
By situating scientific research within regional realities and fostering dialogue across scales, the OPTAIN Regional Dialogue Events contribute directly to advancing sustainable agricultural water management and to embedding NSWRMs into European and national policy frameworks.
3. Summer Schools
Objective: The OPTAIN Summer Schools are designed to train and inspire the next generation of water and environmental professionals. They provide participants with both theoretical and practical knowledge of Natural Small Water Retention Measures (NSWRM), focusing on how these measures can support sustainable water management in agricultural catchments. The aim is to deepen the understanding of when and how NSWRM perform best—considering climate, scale, location, and socio-economic context—and to strengthen the skills of young specialists in applying scientific findings to real-world challenges.
Format: Summer Schools typically run for a full week and combine lectures, practical sessions, fieldwork, and interdisciplinary teamwork. Participants are guided by experts from OPTAIN and its partners, gaining insights into monitoring, data collection and processing, governance aspects, and stakeholder engagement. A key feature of the program is scenario development, where participants design and test solutions for catchment management, and present them in multi-stakeholder forums for feedback. This interactive and applied approach ensures that students learn not only the science but also its translation into practice.
Example: The 2023 Summer School, titled Healthy and Resilient Catchments – From Science to Action, took place from 2–8 July in Prague, Czechia, with a field trip to the Cechticky case study area. Twenty MSc and PhD students, along with young professionals from OPTAIN partner countries, participated in an intensive program combining lectures, field exercises, and collaborative projects. The participants worked on developing science-based scenarios for NSWRM, engaged directly with local stakeholders, and co-created practical solutions tailored to the catchment’s specific needs. The program not only enhanced technical competencies but also fostered interdisciplinary collaboration and built a network of future water professionals committed to advancing sustainable management practices.
4. Networking Events
Objective: Networking events within the OPTAIN project aim to facilitate connections between various stakeholders, including researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders. These events are designed to promote the exchange of ideas, foster collaborations, and enhance the dissemination of best practices related to NSWRM.
Format: These events are often held in conjunction with larger conferences or as stand-alone meetings. They include formal networking sessions, informal discussions, and opportunities for participants to showcase their work and explore potential collaborations.
Example: The OPTAIN Networking Event at the International SWAT Conference (June 2023) provided a platform for stakeholders to discuss NSWRM in an informal setting, allowing for the exchange of ideas and the establishment of new partnerships. The event was particularly successful in connecting researchers with practitioners, leading to several new collaborative projects.
5. Policy Advocacy Workshops
Objective: These workshops are focused on engaging with policymakers to advocate for supportive policies and regulatory frameworks that enhance the implementation and sustainability of NSWRM. The aim is to bridge the gap between scientific research and policy-making, ensuring that the outcomes of the OPTAIN project inform and influence policy decisions.
Format: Policy Advocacy Workshops typically involve presentations of research findings, discussions on policy implications, and the development of policy briefs or recommendations. These workshops often feature high-level participants, including government representatives, policy advisors, and leading experts in water management.
Example: The Brussels Policy Workshop (March 2023) brought together policymakers from various EU institutions, along with researchers and environmental advocates, to discuss the integration of NSWRM into the Common Agricultural Policy. The workshop resulted in a set of policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the adoption of NSWRM across Europe.
By categorizing the workshops in this manner, the OPTAIN project effectively highlights the diverse approaches taken to engage with stakeholders and address the specific challenges of implementing NSWRM. Each type of workshop plays a crucial role in advancing the project’s goals, whether through fostering local collaboration, educating the next generation, or influencing policy at the highest levels.