New forms of territorial governance for the promotion of landscape policies in the field of water resources management at water territories

Main objective of NetWet 3 project is the development of transnational co-operation in Archimed geographic zone for the elaboration of common methods that contribute to: (a) the promotion of a creative territorial policy for the management of Mediterranean landscapes (ESDP, European Landscape Convention, European Governance), (b) in connection to the promotion of sustainable management practices of their water resources (ESDP, Water Framework Directive 2000/60 EU, European Governance), through: • the promotion of reading and analysis methods of the Mediterranean landscapes and their dialectic relation with the aquatic systems and aquatic ecosystems at the water territories; • the promotion of analysis methods of the environmental impacts to the Mediterranean landscapes from extreme flood phenomena and non-sustainable management and exploitation practices of the water resources; • the promotion of inter-sectorial experiences and interdisciplinary knowledge for the reinforcement of orientations that contribute the amelioration of the co-ordination of the public policies that effect the mediterranean landscapes and their water potential; • the promotion of participative spatial planning methods and new forms of “bottom-up” deliberation and “bottom-up” territorial governance for the creative management of landscapes and their water resources at the water territories. The totality of the areas of ARCHIMED geographic zone are characterized by the diversity of Mediterranean landscapes of high environmental and by its, but also historical-cultural value. At ARCHIMED areas, the Mediterranean landscapes constitute the diachronic testimony of interaction of people and nature. At transnational level, the point of connection of variform Mediterranean landscapes is their powerful dialectic relation with water, and particularly the dynamic interaction between: 1. The sustainable management of aquatic systems and aquatic ecosystems, 2. The sustainable approach and creative management of Mediterranean landscapes. NetWet 3 project focuses on the subject of powerful interaction of landscape and water in the Mediterranean areas, and develops the following actions (from which derives the expected results and deliverable): 1. creation of networks of transnational co-operation for the protection and management of landscapes and their aquatic resources; 2. systems of monitoring, comparative hydrologic recording and analysis for the extreme flood phenomena and their impact on the Mediterranean landscapes; 3. systems of monitoring the quality of aquatic resources in coastal and insular areas, as tool for the evaluation of the sustainability of Mediterranean landscapes; 4. studies of sustainable water management in rural (flat, coastal, insular, mountainous) areas and good agricultural practices for the restriction of devalorisation of territorial - aquatic resources and the conservation of rural Mediterranean landscapes; 5. designation of practices of integrated interventions in the urban systems of water supply compatible to protection methods of urban landscape; 6. development of innovative tools for the reading of landscapes with the use of geographic information systems applications (GIS); 7. activities of environmental information, "bottom-up" deliberation and new forms of territorial governance for the sustainable approach and the creative management of Mediterranean landscapes with focus on their aquatic resources (Landscape Contract in the water territories/river basins); 8. development of pilot applications for the establishment and operation of networked structure per local authority for the policies of landscape (networking of the local landscape ateliers through the Laboratory of landscape), as tool of direct contact and communication with the public and the citizen (sensitization, information, participation, deliberation) and the creation of new employment conditions that use innovation and the knowledge as machines for sustainable growth. 9. high level of know-how and experience exchange for the sustainable management of landscapes and their aquatic resources, for the evaluation of public policies that have impact to the Mediterranean landscapes, as well as for the promotion of the necessity for improved co-ordination of these policies; 10. pilot trials for the import of the interdisciplinary meaning of sustainable management of landscapes in education and the connection of the didactical content with the networked structure of the local authorities for the policies of landscape (networking of the local landscape ateliers through the Laboratory of landscape policies); 11. publication of all the material produced by the project.