AquaPath Erasmus Project

Project Title

AquaPath

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships addressing more than one field

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Environment and climate change; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

Water is the commonest substance on the earth surface. Yet, the fresh water resources are endangered by human population and activities and this gets worse with the on-going pollution.
Water is a global challenge, yet action at local level is important, as our way of living and consuming practices have an impact on water resources. Citizens as consumers of products that have a water footprint can affect significantly the consumption of direct and indirect water and make a contribution to water savings.
The project developed an awareness raising campaign, aimed to start a capacity building action to make citizens responsible consumers, as they can affect the water consumption in three ways:
•The change of their consumption habits from products with large water footprint to products with small water footprint;
•The reduction of direct water consumption;
•The pressure of citizens/consumers on manufacturers and decision-makers.

Project results are hosted on a web platform that will remain online for at least 5 years: www.aquapath-project.eu . This includes:
•6 training modules available for online reading and download/print. The contents include: water scarcity, water sustainability, production models, sustainable lifestyles, household’s consumption, water in the public sector and of course the concept of individual Water Footprint. Each module is equipped with further reading, links and a quiz to self-assess the knowledge acquired;
•One module for children (considered as a medium to reach and inform adults) which summarizes the contents developed for adults in an educational booklet enriched with games, quizzes and child-friendly materials. The booklet, called Aquapass, has been released together with a handbook for teachers/educators, guidelines to train children using the Aquapass;
•One water footprint calculator, which allows any citizens to calculate its own individual water footprint and provides a feedback on how to decrease it with a link to relevant training contents.
•One tool for water issues online reporting, which consists in a widget embedded in the platform allowing citizens to report any problem related to water consumption, leakage, pollution, ect.
Besides training contents and tools, the consortium also developed a series of communication materials, an educational video and games for adults and children.

The main target group are adult citizens of any age and background. Most of the results are designed to address their skill gaps and their educational needs.
To reach and train adults, however, the project also addressed children (and teachers as well), developing materials and tools designed to educate and raise awareness of the citizens of the future.

The consortium, made of 7 partners from 6 EU countries (IT, FR, DE, NL, SP, PT), assured a qualified mix of trans-national, trans-sectoral and interdisciplinary backgrounds and fields of expertise.
The consortium includes a training centre, a municipality, a research centre, a technology transfers organisation, an agency and an NGO active in the promotion of sustainability.

The activities have been implemented around three main phases:
1.First the consortium conducted a training needs analysis and desktop research, in order to investigate skill gaps and map existing initiatives/materials: (936 people involved);
2.Then the results have been developed, reviewed, translated in 6 languages (plus English) and made available online as open educational resources: the platform has reached more than 8000 visitors;
3.The third phase has been dedicated to testing, evaluation and fine-tuning the results in view of the final release. More than 200 people have evaluated project results during pilot test activities.
Throughout the overall duration of the project, a series of dissemination activities and materials have launched the awareness raising campaign, which has been given a boost in the last months of the project, thanks also to internet presence, social networks and several multiplier events (17 events in 6 countries, a total of 1009 participants, out of which 400 adults and 609 children)

The main impact on participants and on the people reached/trained through project results is the raised awareness of the issues related to water resources, such as consumption, scarcity, pollution and the ways to reduce the individual water footprint. This leads to a change of behaviour in terms of more sustainable consumers and citizens’ choices. The results of the pilot test demonstrate that the large majority of participants acquired a good knowledge of the water footprint concept and is intended to change its behaviour in view of a more sustainable lifestyle.
As for long term benefits, thanks to the capacity building approach of the project, the project laid the basis for the empowerment of all citizens, no matters the educational level they have, towards a more sustainable society. This is a small but important step against climate change.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 297113,57 Eur

Project Coordinator

EUROCREA MERCHANT SRL & Country: IT

Project Partners

• AREANATejo – Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Norte Alentejano e Tejo
• aiforia GmbH
• KNOWLEDGE INNOVATION MARKET S.L.
• Aiforia – Nachhaltigkeitsagentur, A. Burzacchini N.A. Philipp GbR
• ENERGIES 2050
• STICHTING WATER FOOTPRINT NETWORK
• COMUNE DI MONZA