ECH2O-AGUA – Um instrumento participativo para a avaliação da pegada hídrica e promoção do uso Sustentável da água

Summary of the project

The project called “ECH2O-WATER” has the objective of promoting the adoption of practices of responsible consumption and efficient use of water in order to meet the household and school/professional environment and needs, in a sustainable way. Inserted in a context of problems of water scarcity worldwide and drought phenomena occurring at the national level PRH aims to contribute to a more informed and conscious society regarding the responsibilities and transformative potential towards a paradigm of governance of water towards the SDG. The project will be based on the mobilization of an experimental community that will test devices for a more conservative and sustainable use of water. These keep being optimized by a company leader in innovation and manufacturing of these devices, and that is interested in promoting its profile of social innovation.
We intend to cover a various range of ages and profiles (children, young people and adults) and promote the testing of the new equipment. Along with the testing phase, contests in schools will be launched to compare water footprints and stimulate behavioural attitudes of water savings. Companies will keep improving the products, based on suggestions of children/youth or adults from domestic and/or school/professional environments. APRH intends also to launch merit awards and socio-environmental innovation for a more sustainable use of water, while a natural resource of intangible value (for schools, children/youth, families, firms), based on the results of the experimentation and associated water footprint. The results for a more critical and informed choice of different technological options inherent to consumption patterns can be achieved through the direct involvement of citizens through the changes of the patterns of consumption at local level through experimentation. By promoting social innovation along with technological innovation, we believe that we can promote more durable and sustained patterns of production and consumption for goods, within a circular economy perspective.

Beneficiaries

• At least 400 people (students, organizations and inhabitants)

Overall achievements

The project gave a different look to the water scarcity problems approach, through the involvement of citizens and the social acceptance of simple water saving devices, based on information and experimentation. It shown that better informed citizens and those which the power to make informed decisions is given, are able to make the right choices for more sustainable technological solutions. The action promoted the participatory application of flow-reducing devices, developed a simple calculation of the water footprint based on the methodology developed by one of the partners and also, implemented raising awareness sessions working with nine Experimental Communities established. The project directly reached 2.600 people of different age groups.