About the project

Waters, ecosystems and local communities are under stress in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), affected by high nutrient loadings, eutrophication, drought and flooding. However, there are indications that more responsible water management practices in agricultural areas can reduce nutrient loadings by 30-50% and provide for healthier waters and more productive ecosystems. WATERDRIVE will enhance the opportunities and capacities for local authorities and rural communities in agricultural areas to reach such targets.

Thus, the objective of WATERDRIVE is to implement new and smarter water management practices in agricultural landscapes of the Baltic Sea Region. This will be achieved through innovative means of collaboration across sectors and in a context of ecosystem productivity, rural development and resource efficient growth. The result is a change in attitudes and awareness among the target groups, emphasizing the need for more cross-sector collaboration to implement the locally most effective water management strategies. The change in attitudes will be achieved through working very closely with the target groups in selected case areas throughout the Baltic Sea Region.

Activities are pan-baltic and involves Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Russia. The leading partner is Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

Activities by Baltic Environmental Forum

In Lithuania Baltic Environmental Forum aims to facilitate cross-sectoral co-operation in order to improve management of Dovine river basin and as a result to reduce water pollution in Zuvintas lake. Close communication and consultations will be carried out with local community, farmers, Zuvintas Biosphere Reserve, municipalities and other stakeholders. Baltic Environmental Forum will ensure that the stakeholders would be involved in identification of most appropriate water management solutions and decision-making process.

 

 

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CONTACTS

Elvyra Mikšytė
Project coordinator
Phone 8 5 215 9287
Email elvyra.miksyte@bef.lt 

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Duration

2019/01 – 2021/09

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FINANCING

Project WATERDRIVE (project No. #R094) is financed by Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme.

 

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PROJECT Partners

Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

South Baltic Water District Authority/Kalmar County Administrative Board

Swedish Board of Agriculture

Västervik Municipality

Baltic Environmental Forum Lithuania

Natural Resources Institute Finland

Finnish Environment Institute

ProAgria Southern Finland

Finnish Field Drainage Association

Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre

Jelgava Local Municipality

Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies

Union Farmers’ Parliament

Agricultural Advisory Service in Brwinow

European Regional Centre for Ecohydrology

PhenoHorizon OLP SP

Agency for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of the German Federal State Schleswig Holstein

L&F SEGES

Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG)

Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution “Northwest Research Institute of Agricultural Economics and Organization” (NWRIAEO), St. Petersburg-Pushkin

Institute for Engineering and Environmental Problems in Agricultural Production  – branch of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution  “Federal Scientific Agroengineering Center VIM” (IEEP), St. Petersburg-Pushkin

Administration of Guryevsk City District