Living Labs towards sustainable groundwater management: case study in Malia, Crete, Greece
Creators: name: George, Karatzas
name: Vozinaki Anthi-Eirini
name: Trichakis, Ioannis
name: Ioanna, Anyfanti
name: Stylianoydaki Christina
name: Emmanouil, Varouchakis
name: Goumas Christos
name: Roggero Pier Paolo
name: Mellah Thuraya
name: Akrout Hanene
name: Jomaa, Seifeddine
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Living Labs; Innovative governance; Water resources management; Stakeholder mapping; Social learning processes; Stakeholders' engagement

description: This work carries the social learning process out via Living Labs in order to construct a common<br> vision on sustainable groundwater management. In this process, the scientific and local<br> knowledge are integrated. This study is part of Sustain-COAST project co-funded by PRIMA<br> programme. Stakeholders’ active engagement is realized via Living Labs, which are participatory<br> actions that encourage the dialogue among private and public actors, create institutionalized<br> space for discussion and vision sharing, and analyze the stakeholder-suggested mitigation options.<br> A stakeholder mapping took place, that is the list of all the key groups, organizations, and people<br> involved to water management in the study area. Further analysis was carried out to better<br> understand stakeholders’ roles and perspectives, within the first Living Lab, organized in Malia. 55<br> stakeholders interacted gathered, including water users, policy makers, local and regional<br> authorities, water management and supply associations, socio-ecological and cultural associations,<br> NGOs, citizens, technicians, external experts, scientists.<br> Stakeholders got involved in social learning actions, knowing each other, expressed their<br> motivations and expectations to participate in the first Living Lab and the project. Afterwards, a<br> participatory session followed by implementing digital ICT tools (Mentimeter App.), which is an<br> opinion survey technique that might improve societal awareness and stakeholders’ active<br> engagement in water management. Afterwards, an interactive participatory map activity took<br> place, which enabled the study site’s characterization according to key-stakeholders’ perception,<br> knowledge, and expertise on water management issues in the area. Stakeholders collaborated in<br> groups and filled maps of the study area with significant spatial data and information. Participants<br> were asked to express their common vision on Malia in an entertaining puzzle activity. The aforementioned interactive sessions enabled the extraction of the raised water issues in Malia<br> as well as the suggestion of possible options . The need for sustainable and balanced development<br> taking into account principles of law and equal accessibility for all was specifically noted by<br> stakeholders. Stakeholders evaluated the Living Labs as an innovative interactive and interesting<br> way of exchanging views among institutions and citizens, through participation and technological<br> means. Living Labs are expected to provide significant information exchange among institutions<br> and actors and provide realistic and socially acceptable suggestions for the local community.<br> Stakeholders are directly involved and motivated to maintain their active engagement in a longlasting<br> process via future Living Labs in Malia. Such actions increase governance capacity by<br> addressing people’s skills in jointly decision-making and engaging stakeholders in a social learning<br> process through participation. Actions that encourage dialogue among different actors and use<br> innovative mediation techniques form the best options to improve and integrate water<br> governance.