Report "Public and Stakeholder Participation"
Experiences, Applied Methods and Lessons Learned. Final Report Theme Group III of the TRUST Project.
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Transnational approach
The development of the TRUST project is based on a transnational approach where partners co-operate in order to get added value in to the project. The involvement of each partner will contribute added value to TRUST through the provision of expertise that is unavailable within national borders.
It must be emphasised that each project faces the common issues as described, however the cause of the problems are different in each case and the experience each partner holds can be developed and improved to benefit the partnership.
Each local demonstration project will benefit from added value for the same reason:
- each local project will have a clear, significant spatial impact in a partner country
- each local project will benefit from the whole partnership through the cross-fertilisation of ideas and transfer of knowledge as outlined in the projects’ Communication Plan and Action Plan
- joint working in assessing how best relevant European Directives (e.g. Spatial Planning Framework and Water Framework) can be applied and implemented in local projects
- joint working on design and implementation and sharing of the final outcomes by all partners.
The organisation of TRUST foresees international committees, Theme groups and consulting taskforces in which partners interact in order to achieve cross-fertilisation. The common development, implementation and subsequent evaluation of the demonstration projects will be facilitated by the installation of task groups, theme-conferences and workshops, transfer of knowledge with modern and traditional communication.
The TRUST process and results will not only be available for the partners, but also benefit other local and regional authorities throughout the European Union. Specifically the TRUST observers and other interested authorities will be kept informed (e.g. website, links to partner and project websites, meetings, ongoing consultations), will be able to take part in various process activities (special conferences, background group) and will be able to monitor, jointly with the TRUST team, the progress and results of the demonstration projects (guidelines).Particularly in the area of participation, transnational learning will be promoted through the exchange of information and experiences between investment projects.
Theme 1: Multi-functional Water Storage
This theme has been made explicit to achieve the following sub-objective:
| Development of innovative and multi-functional water storage mechanisms: implementation of new technologies and policies to improve the multi-functional use of water storage areas guaranteeing the availability of water in dry season, the prevention of floods and superfluous water in the wet season, the improvement of biodiversity, enhancing recreation and other additional functions |
This theme includes all aspects of integrated spatial planning and water towards multi-functional use of water storage areas. Mono-functional water storage areas are currently implemented in all member states of the North West region, mostly created as flood retention areas. The areas will be used only in periods of floods where superfluous water can be discharged into the area in order to avoid economic loss. However as has been shown in the summer of 2003, the North West region does not only suffer from floods as a result of the global climate change, but also suffers from extensive periods of drought.
If maintained at a good regime, the mono-functional water storage areas might be able to supply the water systems during dry periods, making the system less vulnerable to extreme situations. Other multi-functional use can possibly be found in a combination of recreation, nature and water storage or in the combination of houses, water quality improvement and water storage.
The TRUST Multi-functional Water Storage Theme group will investigate the possibility and consequences of using the flood prevention storage areas for periods of drought and other possible functions.
Theme 2: Integral surface water management
This theme is selected to work out the sub-objective:
| Improve Water management in transformation projects: Integral surface water management that is prepared for climate in the 21st century, urbanisation, the EU Frame Directive, geomorphological changes etc. |
This theme concentrates on the subject of surface water management in land transformation projects. Integral Surface Water Management is defined by us as all measures taken on level control, water transport and water quality in order to meet the requirements of the primary and secondary functions of the surface water system. Functions can be specified as agricultural use, grey water, urban water, recreation, transport, nature, etc.
The current situation with regard to water management is that the global climate change as well as the European Water Framework Directive does need serious developments in integral water management. The TRUST Theme group Integral Surface Water Management will focus on innovative techniques that result in an improved water management which is “climate-change and EFD-proof”.
Theme 3: Stakeholder en public participation
Subject in this Theme group will be the following sub-objective:
| Maximise public and stakeholder participation: Implementation of participative planning processes where public, stakeholder and such involved parties are included in the planning and implementing processes in order to achieve improved sustainable management, increase project acceptance and avoid bottlenecks that can delay and/or threaten project implementation. |
Public and stakeholder participation can be defined as the involvement of the general public, public and private organisations and other interest groups in the design, implementation and evaluation processes of a project with the aim to achieve optimal (i.e. technically correct and with approval of the public and stakeholders) design and realisation.
Currently the design and realisation of major developments in the water systems are mostly focussed on the technical aspects of projects. However, when intending to develop integral water projects, it becomes important to recognise and include in the planning process, the ideas and possibly conflicting views of the different stakeholders as well as the public in order to ensure that the best solutions are found that meet the needs and agreement of the community.
It is also important to develop within the stakeholder community both support for and a sense of ownership of the new areas to the effect that these areas will continue to be made use of and maintained by them beyond the life of the project. Within this theme, innovative techniques will be developed and applied to enable both stakeholders and the public to take part in the design and implementation of plans for the new areas. This theme will also facilitate the dissemination of knowledge about participatory practices within the project team, and as be partly responsible for the internal and external TRUST communication.
