Waterways Ireland, the body in charge of Ireland's inland waterways will host the fourth Waterways Forward Interregional Meeting in September 2011. Waterways Forward brings together 17 partner organisations from 11 EU countries plus Norway and Serbia lead by Stichting Recreatietoervaart Nederland (Dutch Recreational Waterways Foundation) to work co-operatively on issues around inland waterway management and development. The 2 day event will introduce over 50 European waterway professionals to Ireland's inland waterways and will include workshops, master classes and a site visit.
Waterways Forward is a European Union INTERREG IVC programme. It aims to improve the management of regional inland waterway corridors for recreational boating & amenity use through an integrated, sustainable and participatory approach, taking account of the multi-functional role of our waterways.
Previous meetings have been held in the Netherlands and Italy with the 3rd Interregional meeting scheduled to be held in Spain on 19th to 21st January 2011.
The project began in 2010 with the development of a regional analysis in each partner area in relation to the themes of Governance and Environment & Climate Change. This work has now been completed and the results of the analyses are being brought together in a Synthesis Report which will inform how the Thematic Groups organise their work in the next two years of the project. The €2.8m project runs from 2010 – 2012.
Waterways Ireland was involved in the preparation of the funding application and the approved implementation plan and is actively involved in its delivery.