- The TRANSCEND Project started in January 2023, runs for four years, and focuses on innovative solutions to water scarcity and climate change.
- Crete’s region is a project partner under the HORIZON EUROPE framework.
- The second workshop took place on 4 February 2025 in Tympaki, following the first meeting in September 2023.
- Discussions revolved around managing water resources amidst climate uncertainty.
- Stakeholders contributed suggestions, debated future scenarios, and explored adaptive reform policies (ARPs).
- Seven “living labs” will be established across Europe, South America, the Middle East, and Asia.
- The ultimate goal? To create a system that works.
Water shortages and climate change—two global catastrophes that keep experts squabbling and the rest of us wondering if our faucets will ever stop running. The TRANSCEND Project, launched in January 2023, is throwing its hat in the ring, with a lofty mission to sort out these messes. The initiative boasts a fancy title no one can remember—so TRANSCEND will do. Targeting a four-year timeline, the project strives for breakthroughs under the HORIZON EUROPE financial programme.
Crete, a key partner (and no stranger to water issues), played host for the second workshop on 4 February 2025, held in Tympaki.
Who Was There?
Big names, of course. Nikos Xylouris, the Regional Vice Governor for Environmental Affairs, kicked off the Tympaki workshop. He stood in for Crete’s Regional Governor, Stavros Arnaoutakis. Dionisio Pérez-Blanco, project coordinator from IMDEA, represented the TRANSCEND workforce. Add Dr Marinos Kritsotakis to the mix, steering the show with a project overview.
But what’s a workshop without stakeholders? Representatives from organisations managing Tympaki’s water basin sat through presentations, participated in heated debates, and split into discussion groups to brainstorm actual solutions.
What Actually Happened?
Modelling tools took centre stage. Experts detailed how TRANSCEND examines water management and economic systems, aiming to predict future scenarios—because why not throw in some hypotheticals to the already chaotic world we live in?
Then, it was time to let stakeholders have their say. They heard about how climate change and economic development are the unwelcome guests at Tympaki’s water party. Small groups formed, ideas bounced around, and potential actions were scribbled down. They even got busy drafting theoretical Adaptive Reform Policies (ARPs)—measures to (hopefully) reduce impacts and adapt to future challenges.
TRANSCEND’s Big Plans
TRANSCEND isn’t just sticking to Tympaki. The project is setting up seven “living labs” worldwide to test its shiny new ideas. Locations include:
- Crete, Greece (Tympaki)
- Spain
- Rhine (Italy)
- Nitra (Slovakia)
- Caplina-Mauri-Desaguadero (Peru, Chile, Bolivia – a triple feature)
- Orontes (Lebanon, Syria, Turkey – modest goals with that trio…)
- Mahanadi (India’s Chhattisgarh and Odisha states)
Think of these as science-y playgrounds where TRANSCEND will throw out theories and see what sticks.
So What’s the Endgame?
TRANSCEND wants to craft a system that combines knowledge-sharing, action-ready models, and toolkits for monitoring and enforcement. It doesn’t sound simple because it isn’t. However, the hope is that it will help regions like Tympaki deal with water shortages while balancing economic and social challenges.
The holy grail? Adaptive Reform Policies (ARPs). These policies aim to tackle water woes with innovative distribution systems and financial strategies while ensuring fairness and sustainable growth. Tall order? Absolutely.
Will TRANSCEND succeed where others have floundered? Can a room full of experts and stakeholders work through disagreements to solve two of the planet’s biggest problems? Watch this space—or, let’s say, the nearest tap—to find out.