The project brought together researchers, university experts, and water sector professionals from various countries
On February 25 and 26, a FORTHEM meeting was held at the UV Faculty of Law, focusing on current challenges in water governance and its digitalization process.
The initiative is part of a project driven by students from the FORTHEM Digital Transformation Lab, led by Blanca Luque (JGU) and co-funded by the UV Faculty of Law.
The workshop brought together researchers, university experts, and professionals from the water sector across several European countries to discuss the climate, technological, and institutional challenges affecting water management.
The event served to formalize the launch of a network dedicated to "Water Governance and Digitalization," a European-wide academic initiative aimed at strengthening interuniversity cooperation and promoting the analysis of climate, social, and political challenges linked to water governance and management within the context of digital transformation.
The organizing committee was composed of research staff from the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and the Universitat de València (UV): Oscar Barberà (UV), Joan Enguer (UV), Irene Luján (UV), Blanca Luque (JGU), and Rebecca Shell (JGU).
This collaboration reflects the international and cooperative nature of the project, aligned with the strategic objectives of the FORTHEM alliance.
The initiative gathered research and professional staff from different European countries with the aim of addressing, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the political, technical, and social challenges of water governance in a scenario shaped by climate change.
Among the attendees were, among others, Blanca Luque* and Rebecca Shell* (JGU, Mainz); Oscar Barberà, Eugenia Ruiz; Joan Enguer, Irene Luján*, Lauri Maria Josep Picó, Ángela López*, Paula Montesinos*, and Borja López* (UV, Valencia); Frank (JYU, Jyväskylä); Milouda Issaiene (UdB, Dijon); Carles Arques and Annalisa Caruso (Euromunicipal, Valencia); Gregorio Cevoli (Aachen University); Jean-Marc Douguet (Paris-Saclay University); Hèctor Monclús Sales, Edurne Bagué, and Lucia Alexandra Popartan (UdG, Girona); Javier Rodrigo Ilarri (UPV, Valencia); and Jakub Stefan Malinowski Knowler (Independent Consultant).
[*students]
During the meeting, various research lines were presented, and common challenges were identified, while debate sessions were held to explore future collaborations.
Potential outcomes included pilot projects, joint publications, shared teaching activities, and coordinated participation in international conferences.
For more information, please contact bluqueca@uni-mainz.de
Text by Borja López Casas, Ángela López Cucarella, Paula Montesinos Albors
