Component 4

Outcome 4. Long term sustainability of achievements enhanced through public and political awareness campaigns, stakeholder involvement and replication mechanisms.

Component 4 of the DIKTAS Project contains the communication, dissemination and replication activities in order to ensure the long term sustainability of achievements enhanced through public and political awareness campaigns, stakeholder involvement and replication mechanisms.

The multilevel non-linear linkages among the groups of stakeholders, the institutions and the countries, which are by default engaged in the management of the aquifers system, are equally important to the linkages between the project activities for sustaining the project outcomes and achievements. The structured involvement of the appropriate stakeholders at the appropriate level and time in the different project activities using the appropriate means will secure the creation of these linkages. Under the Component 4 a range of information and strategic communications, consultation and involvement activities has been foreseen in pursue of strengthening the commitment of politicians, decision makers, users and other stakeholders at all levels as well as the public. This will result in a sustained cooperative effort for the sustainable management of the resource among the aquifer sharing countries.

The ninth Output of the Project under the Component 4 is the Stakeholders Analysis, and the Information and Strategic Communication Activities which will be implemented to highlight project’s progress and achievements and support the stakeholders’ involvement.

The information and strategic communication activities will facilitate the engagement of the stakeholders in the implementation of the project, the general public and the users to understand the issues involved and change attitude and their behaviour to a more sustainable one, key stakeholders groups to exert pressure for solutions to be planned and implemented, and finally politicians and decision makers to take action. An Information and Strategic Communication Plan that will precisely describe the related activities, the target audience and the related timeframe, will be prepared using information generated through the SA.

Happening Right Now!

The tenth Output of the Project under the Component 4 involves the organisation of targeted capacity building programs to encourage replication of new practices, behaviours and techniques.

These may focus among others on:

• specific issues to facilitate meaningful stakeholders engagement in the Project’s activities;
• policy and technical issues related to sustainable management of karst aquifers/ integrated water resources management to facilitate enhanced management of the resources;
• replication of best practices, solutions and techniques identified through the Project implementation period.

Additionally, targeted capacity building workshops will focus on key stakeholders that influence decision making (members of the parliaments of the countries, journalists) aiming to enhance their understanding about the resource and the needed action towards sustainable management of shared aquifers.

Happening Right Now!

The eleventh Output of the Project under the Component 4 refers to the participation of the project to the IW LEARN activities and products such as exchange of information and knowledge face-to-face activities, experience notes etc, focusing on the Southeastern Europe region. The project will also actively participate in the GEF IW Biannual conference in 2011 and 2013 and sponsor participation of two countries representatives from governments.

Furthermore, the Project’s Website uses the tools developed under the IW:LEARN Project, to achieve compatibility with the IW:LEARN’s portal. The website incorporates a range of tools such as project’s management team working space, information database, interactive maps, forum discussions, and distance learning / online capacity building (CB) modules).

Explore our website!