Water JPI-Water Challenges for a Changing World

The Joint Programming Initiative Water Challenges for a Changing World was created with the aim of bringing together efforts, mobilizing resources, and strengthening European leadership and competitiveness in water research and innovation. Portugal is one of the partners in this initiative, which also includes the participation of the European Commission. In 2014, ERA-NET WaterWorks 2014-2019 in Support of the Water JPI was created, in which Portugal is one of the partners.

Water JPI is an intergovernmental initiative aimed at promoting the development of water systems based on a sustainable economy. However, achieving these objectives requires a transnational and multidisciplinary approach to address the economic, ecological, technological, and societal challenges facing Europe.

Objectives and Areas of Research and Innovation

Water JPI focuses on freshwater and hydrology, and seeks to address a key challenge: achieving sustainable water systems for a sustainable economy in Europe and worldwide. This broad objective is divided into five major areas of research challenges:

1. Maintaining the sustainability of ecosystems;

2. Development of drinking water systems for public consumption;

3. Promotion of competitiveness in the water industry;

4. Implementation of a smart and bio-based water economy;

5. Close the water cycle, seeking to resolve its critical issues.

Action Plan

Among the activities developed by this initiative, we highlight the European mapping of research and innovation in water, the definition of a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda whose implementation aims to promote the alignment of national programs in a common programmatic orientation, and the development of joint activities, with two Calls for projects already planned.
This European initiative focuses on promoting the systematic, active, and critical involvement of policy makers in the water sector and stakeholders from the business and industrial community.