IDEAL - The importance of water education in the European Elbe-Labe region

Financing	Interreg Saxony - Czech Republic | Česko - Sasko EFRE funding: 1.858.906,24 €
Processing period	17.05.2024 - 31.12.2027
Project management	TU Dresden
Project management	Dr.-Ing. Markus Ahnert M.Sc. Annika Schubert M.Sc. Jakob Benisch
Project partner	German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA) Asociace pro vodu ČR z.s. (CzWA) Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze (CZU) Univerzita Jana Evangelisty Purkyně v Ústí nad Labem (UJEP) Severočeské vodovody a kanalizace (SčVK) TU Dresden, Institute for Clinical Pharmacology TU Dresden, Institute for Urban Water Management TU Dresden, Institute of Hydrobiology
Website	https://idealsncz.eu

The IDEAL project aims to eliminate the differences in water protection between the Czech Republic and Saxony and harmonize a common approach to this issue. The aim is to create a platform for cross-border cooperation, provide high-quality training and raise awareness of the challenges of water management.

The project focuses on the training of professionals and combines theoretical and practical aspects of teaching, including laboratory courses, field trips and field exercises. The project also includes the development of digital platforms to inform the general public. The focus is on long-term cooperation between universities, professional associations and water system operators in order to contribute to sustainable water protection and the creation of a skilled workforce. In addition to training, the project focuses on raising public awareness of the importance of protecting water as a limited natural resource.

With the IDEAL project, we are addressing two main areas in the context of education and training in water management:

• Raising awareness among the general public (citizen science) and working with stakeholders
• Training academics and specialists in water management
• Harmonization of methods for training, research and operation
• Raising general awareness of water as a resource among the general public