International cooperation is vital for solving environmental problems

“Cooperation across borders creates and spreads expert knowledge that is beneficial for the environment, farmers and society in general.” So says Irene Wiborg, the leader of the Aquarius project, after a recently held workshop in Norway. Here, partners in the EU project Aquarius took stock of their efforts towards finding solutions to the climate changes and environmental problems in countries around the North Sea.
And H.G. Schenk, farmer from Lüneburger Heide, part of the German pilot area agrees: “The Aquarius project is already proving very successful. It shows very clearly that the exchange of knowledge between farmers, authorities, and organisations across borders is vital when it comes to solving the problems that farmers from different countries are dealing with now and in the future”.

But according to Irene Wiborg, there are still some challenges to overcome before the Aquarius project ends in the first quarter of 2012.
“In order to find optimal win-win solutions beneficial to the climate, the environment and production, it is crucial that the right incentives are present along with the necessary technological expertise. That means both before and during, but certainly also after, a pilot project is launched,” she says.

Financial challenges In the Scottish pilot, where they are working with farmers to reduce the impact of flooding, the main challenge consists of determining the most effective method of financing the project. Specifically management and maintenance costs are being discussed, with regards to who should pay. “Whether it will be through the farmer using agri-environment schemes or Aberdeenshire Council, the authority responsible for flood protection and management, is still being considered,” says Linda Mathieson, from Aberdeenshire Council in Scotland.

The workshop in Norway focused on the different pilots findings so far in the Aquarius project. On the picture Linda Mathieson from Aberdeenshire Council, Scotland.

The farmers in the Swedish pilot have also experienced financial challenges. Here, both flooding and drought are serious issues. As a useful tool, multi-functional constructed wetlands are being used both for irrigation, in times of drought, and as reservoirs, in times of floods.

According to John Strand, partner in the Swedish pilot, the challenge consisted in persuading the farmers to set aside land for the construction of wetlands, since this had a possibly negative economic outcome for them. However, this has been resolved as the farmers are now allowed to use the water in the constructed wetlands for irrigation, thereby creating a win-win situation. “The farmers have been responsive and interested and the project is well under way to establish farmers as water managers,” says John Strand.

Win-win situations like the one in the Swedish pilot are seen throughout the Aquarius project.  In the Norwegian pilot, the main concern is to reduce erosion and phosphorus losses, naturally with minimum reductions in productivity. Here, 75 % of the farmers have agreed to an environmental contract, which puts comprehensive restrictions on farming, while at the same time giving the farmers risk premiums.

Tyra Risnes, the leader of the Norwegian pilot, says: “We have created a win-win situation because while the phosphorus application has been reduced, locally applied research shows that the crops are not reduced, so farmers are also saving money on using less phosphorus."

Technical obstacles
In addition to the economic challenges, the pilots are also facing a couple of technical obstacles they have to overcome in order to for example improve water quality and find solutions to the growing problem with water deficiency.

In the German pilot, the main concern is drought and there is a great need for irrigation. The collection of hydrological data has proved more technically complex than expected, but through cooperation with other partners, ideas and experiences with irrigation and water retention have been shared and this challenge has been overcome.

The consequences of drought are also the focus in the Dutch pilot in Drenthe, and strategies are aimed at efficient irrigation and water retention. As a solution, almost 100 high tech sensors have been installed to help farmers see when it is the optimal time to irrigate. However, the area has not had a dry summer in the last two years, and therefore, until now, the exact effect of proper irrigation on farmers’ yields has been difficult to measure.

Cooperation is essential
The Aquarius project shows that involving the farmers in the search of solutions for a sustainable production and better climate and environment is of great importance. This is however reliant on good chemistry between all parties involved. According to Rainer Behrens from the German pilot, the personality of the advisor and the relationship formed with the farmer is crucial for the success of the project and for convincing the farmer to agree to participate in a pilot project.

In the Danish pilot, local stakeholder groups, consisting of farmers, advisors, and authorities, are sharing ideas and – if possible – carried out. Irene Wiborg says: “The Aquarius project has proved that constructive cooperation is crucial to the achievement of our common goals. I am convinced that the few challenges we are facing will be dealt with, in light of the fact that the partners continue to learn from each other and share ideas and solutions.”

Next steps
The next conference will be held in Drenthe, Netherlands, in March 2011. A big end conference will be held in Denmark in October 2011. This conference will contain conclusions and messages from the entire Aquarius project.