1. Office Réseau
International International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
NOVIWAM
March 27, 2012
Feed back from WWF6 on Spi session
Gilles Neveu
Gilles Neveu page 1

2. Science & Spi during the WWF6
Office Réseau
International
de l ’Eau prep process International
des Organismes
de Bassin
 Global prep process : Conditions
for Success – Enabling
Environment (CS3.1)
 European prep process : target
EU10
combined 4H session
Gilles Neveu page 2

3. Office
International
The targets Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 CS3-1 : To improve the delivery of research for water
governance with a view to increasing
capacity/strengthening leadership of decision-makers
at various levels by establishing effective science-
policy interfaces,
and
 EU10: To develop a leadership in science-policy
interface and dialogue between researchers and water
managers, technology innovation, dissemination and
exploitation of research results for European growth
and competitiveness by 2020.
Gilles Neveu page 3

4. The recommendations of the
targets’ reports
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de l ’Eau des Organismes
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 To support – with political and scientific commitment -
a process aiming to draw attention to SPi
 To train actors involved in connecting policy and
science in communication and facilitation skills
 To learn from existing experiences – publicise and
promote, and monitor these experiences
 To foster integrated approaches and interdisciplinary
research to tackle complex problems
 To establish a networking platform providing the
water policy sector with complete scientific
information
 To embed science policy interface processes into
institutions and to involve stakeholders in the
research process
Gilles Neveu page 4

5. Office
International
Reports fed by Solutions Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 Several solutions were pre-identified (see
online platform of solutions):
 37 Solutions collected on the website
http://www.solutionsforwater.org/
 27 Solutions selected to feed the targets’
reports (14 at global level, 13 at European
level)
 18 Solutions selected to support the session.
Gilles Neveu page 5

6. Office
International
Solutions 1/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 To establish a nonpartisan, objective think tank to provide
policy makers with timely, unbiased information and
analysis on policy issues - US congressional research
service
 Continuum of approaches from ad hoc, citizen-driven
initiatives to negotiated partnerships to formal
institutional arrangements - Collaborative Governance
in the US American West
 Knowledge Management and Mobilization – UNU-INWEH
 To address the gap between science and society in the
field of environmental research with a focus on policy
makers - KNOSSOS / UNEP
Gilles Neveu page 6

7. Office
International
Solutions 2/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 To develop and to apply different types of knowledge
brokering instruments in concrete policy trajectories at the
European, national and regional level to bridge the gap
between science and policy – PSI Connect
 To enhance connectivity between research and policy-
making – AWARE
 To enhance interfacing between policy
making/implementation, and research and technology
development – WISE-RTD
 The European Innovation Partnership on water (EIP)
 A science-policy interface for the implementation of the
Water Framework Directive – CIS-SPI
 A Joint Programming Initiative “Water Challenges for a
Changing world”
Gilles Neveu page 7

8. Office
International
Solutions 3/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 To boost research to support public policies in the
field of water – IWRM.net
 To connect with the local communities and administration for
design and implementation of societal water projects - Water
Community in Solution Exchange (WCSE) – India
 To accelerate the transfer of research outputs to water
management institutions – WaterDiss2.0
 Education and capacity building activities in the fields of
water, environment and infrastructure - UNESCO-IHE
Gilles Neveu page 8

9. Office
International
Solutions 4/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 Center of excellence promoting knowledge exchange and
capacity development - Knowledge Hub by Asian
Development Bank
 To share available practices and information with the
largest audience - African Water Documentation and
Information System
 A strategic tool for exchanging information and knowledge
in the water sector - the Euro Mediterranean partnership
countries – EMWIS
 To promote coordination and collaboration of
Research and Technology Development in the
water industry – WsstP
Gilles Neveu page 9

10. Office
International
Solutions 5/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 To facilitate the generation of market driven, pan-
European collaborative water research and technological
development projects for the benefit of the European
Water Industry – Eureka Cluster Acqueau
 To set-up an observatory of innovative technologies, and
the development of new partnerships and cooperation –
EA-écoentreprises
 Principles, concepts, practical steps, and case examples to
facilitate companies’ responsible engagement with water
policy in a manner that reduces business risks while
simultaneously advancing policy goals and positively
impacting nearby communities and ecosystems – CEO
water mandate
Gilles Neveu page 10

11. Office
International
Feedback from the session 1/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 Encourage mix of communities and people, and public
involvement
 Bring more science in policy arena and vice –versa;
Facilitate mobility of people between research and
policy domains
 Create and sustain political attention through engaging
people at the local level
 Involve public in the SPI; incorporate local citizens in
the process from the beginning
 Create an online platform where citizens can engage in
the process: opportunity to influence policies
Gilles Neveu page 11

12. Office
International
Feedback from the session 2/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 Encourage reciprocal understanding between policy makers
and scientists
 Companies can be important to leverage policy to
incorporate more science in their policy; importance of
SMEs in this regard
 Educate policy makers how to understand scientific
uncertainty with respect to risk associated with decisions.
 Educate scientists about the political feasibility of policies
they might advocate.
 Research avenues by which the long term strategic focus
of scientists can be implemented piece by piece in shorter
term politically feasible strategies.
 Create a network involving regions and cities to raise
awareness among politics.
Gilles Neveu page 12

13. Office
International
Feedback from the session 3/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 Create enabling environment to boost innovation and to
reduce risks
 Financing mechanisms: the process should be quicker
from innovation to implementation ; start to change the
incentives to engage more in applied research and transfer
activities
 Take a look at institutions : Innovation value chain
should be inclusive from scientists to end users; important
to build multi-stakeholder processes
 Create an enabling environment to reduce the risks of
implementing new innovations and products in eco-
industries and green growth from Small and Medium
Enterprises,
 Need to develop an instrument or method that allows
industries to collaborate while protecting their
intellectual property
Gilles Neveu page 13

14. Office
International
Feedback from the session 4/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 Encourage and improve research dissemination and
transfer
 Make it a requirement for researchers to get funding to
include research dissemination. A project should end
with a roadmap on result’s implementation.
 Reinforce structures for dissemination, transfer and
promotion of research results
 Transfer facilitation: Find specific means to ensure
operational transfer of the results of research; Find
funding and people who are specialized to facilitate
this transfer
 Scientists needs to share their results with policy
makers but also with citizens
Gilles Neveu page 14

15. Office
International
Feedback from the session 5/5 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 Establish knowledge brokering
 Recognize the importance of knowledge brokers
to reconcile the two sides of policy and
research, and get sustainable continuity and
connection between science and policy makers in
the long term
 Create a regular science-policy interface
platform where the ecosystem of interests have
space to develop common language and
strategies, creating inclusivity between research
community, policy makers, funders, NGO/civil
society, business and education institutions etc.
Gilles Neveu page 15

16. Office
International
Target Action Plan Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 to form a solid international scientific community
on water and to implement a process aiming to
elaborate common (international/regional)
research agendas - 2013
 to implement tools aiming to identify priority
research needs to meet water policy needs – 2013
 to elaborate and update guidance on effective
research dissemination and uptake practices and
instruments to support water policy, including
metrics to monitor and evaluate progress –
2014
Gilles Neveu page 16

17. Office
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Commitments 1/2 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 European Commission DG RTD will reinforce
dissemination and exploitation of research
results, including social science and involvement of
citizens in research projects.
 European Commission DG RTD will also continue to
support and engage in the water framework directive
common implementation strategy science-policy interface
activity, pledging for a more mature/permanent activity
within the WFD CIS.
 UNU-INWEH commits to develop their “K Star” platform
on knowledge brokerage
Gilles Neveu page 17

18. Office
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Commitments 2/2 Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
 UNESCO commits to facilitate a task force involving
UN organisations (in particular WMO) to implement
SPI-related recommendations
 UNEP: In collaboration with WHO and FAO to work
in dissemination of research results and support
training for developing countries
 ONEMA: active in water science-policy interface at
global level: set up a dedicated
mechanism, together with UNESCO, at EU level:
CIS –SPI mechanism together with DG RTD, and at
national level: to promote pilot and demonstration
sites involving scientists and policy-makers
Gilles Neveu page 18

19. Office
International
Take-away messages Réseau
International
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As a summary the two following statements may
be considered as take-away messages:
 It is needed to create water
evidence-based policies
 Dialogue between science and
policy is not that obvious, keep
on connecting them
Gilles Neveu page 19

20. Office
International
MORE INFORMATION on Réseau
International
de l ’Eau des Organismes
de Bassin
worldwaterforum6.spisession.oiea
u.fr/materials.html
Thank you
Gilles Neveu page 20