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INTERREG IIIB NWE Application Form Part A – Annex X 13 Summary.

The project RhineNet is developed along two key inter-related issues or guiding principles:

3. The first issue is sustainable water management, that has gained political and policy importance
over the last decade, in Europe but also elsewhere in both developed and developing countries as
illustrated by the recent EU Water Initiative launched at the Johannesburg World Sustainable
Summit.
4. The second issue is the involvement of stakeholders and the civil society into the decision
making process, as means for enhancing its political legitimacy, success and effectiveness.
Because both issues are integrated into the recently adopted European Water Framework Directive
(WFD), the implementation of this new pillar of European water policy will be central to the RhineNet
project. Overall, the project will investigate how information, consultation and participation of
stakeholders, the civil society and local communities can be made operational within one of the major
international river basins of Europe, the Rhine river basin.

The following issues are specifically addressed:

• Sustainable water management and the European Water Frame Work directive
• Involving stakeholders and the civil society to enhance political legitimacy
• Water challenges along the Rhine international river basin
• Implications of WFD and its participation process for water management along the Rhine river
  basin
• The role of community initiatives in integrated transboundary water management
• Environmental protection and flood prevention
  The overall objectives of the RhineNet project are:
• To develop a sustainable, participatory and integrated water management in the Rhine river
  basin
• To promote solidarity among users and riverans based on principles of democracy and
  respectful use of common natural (water) resources.
  The action plan is divided into five components:
• Component I – Information and awareness raising
• Component II – Test of approaches in selected case studies
• Component III – Consultation of stakeholders and the civil society
• Component IV – Dissemination of project results
• Component V – General project management
  The five components will permit to build up a knowledge base, to raise awareness on water
  management issues, to promote the idea of shared water basins, to develop and to test methods and
  approaches for the participation of the civil society in water management. The heart of the project
  represent component II as the case studies represent the test field for implementing and validate
  methods for the participation of the civil society in the water management within the Rhine Basin. This
  component gives input especially to component III and IV, and includes own activities of information
  and awareness raising on a local level within transboundary regions
  The compontent I Information and awareness raising includes the following key actions/
• Collection of information
• Identification of target groups and stakeholders
• Organisation of information sessions on the WFD and on public participation in the WFD
• Development of leaflets
• Organisation of the environemental art and poetry programme Rivers of Images, Streams of Words
  (RISW_
• Organisation of the First International Rhine Bathing Day
• Organisation of the Neckar Festival
  Products of this component will the artistic works of the RISW, to be presented in iterating exhibitions,
  reports on the information sessions, the bathing day, several information brochures and leaflets on the
  WFD and a compendium on water management practises in the Rhine basin.
  The component II Test of approaches in selected case studies
  Case studies have been selected for testing different approaches and tools for involving stakeholders
  and the civil society into water management and decision making under real life situations within the
  Rhine river basin. These case studies deal with different aspects of water management (for example,
  transboundary aspects of water management, river development, ground water protection, source
  protection, urban development, etc). All the case studies will inform on the WFD, will participate the
  civil society from the beginning in the decision making process. Their will be a continuos exchange
  among the participants of all the stakeholders, on the outcomes and on the methods applied. From the
  evaluation of the case studies, general lessons will be identified with regards to the application of
  participatory approaches for the implementation of the WFD. The information and experience
  obtained as part of these case studies will also serve as input into various working groups developed at
  the Member States and European levels for discussing and proposing specific approaches to
  information, consultation and participation of stakeholders and the civil society into water
  management. The in the case studies proposed measures will give furthermore input into the
  management plans on a subbasin level to be proposed by the member states of the EU.
  The participatory approaches in the case studies will be evaluated by the OIEAU and the outcomes of
  the case study will give input to the consultation phase. A draft methodological guide how to
  participate the civil society in water management in a transboundary context will be presented to the
  communities, stakeholders and to the different authorities.
  Based on different characteristics and problems six representative case studies have been identified:
  The following case studies will be undertaken/
• Revitalisation of the upper Rhine in a transboundary region
• Development of the river Dreisam (tributary to the Rhine qt Freiburg_ – participation and themati
  consultation along an urban river system
• A pilot project for the monitoring of sources protection zones in Luxembourg
• Classification of Dutch Wetlands
• Development of a nature experiment guide Alb
• Implementation measures in the frame of the international flood action plan for the Mosell/Saar
  basin “Moselle/Saar” case studies
  Component III – Consultation of stakeholders and the civil society
• Organisation of thematic workshops and discussion circles based on the results of the
  information workshops, case studies and on the contacts established during the information and
  awareness raising component.
• Discussion of the outcomes of the case studies and their follow up
• Within the thematic workshops and discussion circles, proposals for practical measures as
  identified by stakeholders and the civil society to be included in the river basin management plans
• Presentation of the results of the workshops and discussion circles on a regional, basin wide,
  national and European level.
• Presentation and test of the draft guide for participatory approaches.
• The approach used in the workshops will be evaluated in respect of their efficiency to facilitate
  public participation in water management, to motivate stakeholders to take an active part in water
  management and to initiate a long lasting engagement by the different actors. Based on this
  evaluation the final guide for participatory approaches will be set up.
  Component IV – Dissemination and advertising of the project results
  The following activities have been identified for this component:
• Organisation of iterating expositions with illustration of local know-how, examples of good
  practices and methods and tools for the participation of the civil society in water management and
  decision making addressed to stakeholder and to a broad public
• Creation of a WebPages for the broad public with a discussion platform for presenting and
  discussion the information of the RhineNet project (using a hyperlink map of the Rhine Basin), its
  activities and results, the WFD, key water management issues in the Rhine
• Organisation of press conferences to inform about the project activities and its results
• Publication (whenever possible) of editorials, newspapers and magazine articles presenting the key
  political and policy dimensions investigated by the RhineNet project, as a means to sensitise the
  wider public and local politicians and policy makers to water management, the implementation of
  the WFD and the participation of the civil society;
• Publication of a final report and CD-ROM presenting in a very pertinent and user-friendly way the
  results of the project.
• Organisation of specific public events such as the international Rhine bathing day, or action days
  to promote the river basin approach and the improvement of the ecological status of rivers
  Presentation and discussion of the results (workshops, conferences, annual meeting) of the RhineNet
  at national, international and regional conferences and events as well to the different institutions
  concerned