Workshop on Groundwater Buffering
On 29th -30th November a group of Topsoil partners got together in Drenthe (NL) to discuss one of the project’s themes– groundwater buffering. Delegates from Germany, the UK, Belgium and Denmark joined their Dutch colleagues from the Province of Drenthe and Water Authorities Hunze en Aa’s and Noorderzijlvest to exchange more specific knowledge related to this challenge.
During a short excursion by bus through the rural area of the Drentsche Aa, some of the issues regarding groundwater buffering in relation to various policies were explained. The focus for the ensuing two–day workshop was to create a roadmap as a guide from problem to solution. Representatives from each pilot area defined their challenges, stakeholders, responsibilities and current solutions and presented these to the other partners.
Lively discussions and exchange of knowledge followed on:
- Stakeholder involvement
- Technical field investigations
- Data and modelling
- Governance
All-in-all this was a very worthwhile meeting. While there are still some small gaps in the groundwater buffering roadmap the general consensus is that of a greatly improved understanding of the pilot projects, their context and the issues being faced in each region.
