On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, representatives from various RETOUCH project case studies gathered in Ostend for a unique visit to the WaterProof Experience Container at VITO’s Water Climate Hub offices.
This half-day engagement was designed to foster a collaborative exchange of ideas around impactful communication strategies and community engagement, building on lessons from the WaterProof project.
An Immersive Learning Environment
The WaterProof Experience Container, an interactive communication tool, serves as a powerful medium to showcase innovative approaches in water management. Originally developed to share insights from the WaterProof project at the Tielt Noord business park, the container is structured to make complex water management strategies accessible to a broader audience, including stakeholders from various business parks across Flanders.
For this particular visit, the emphasis was on peer-to-peer exchange among RETOUCH project representatives, focusing on effective communication methods for translating project outcomes to diverse stakeholders.
Fostering Community Through Shared Practice
With a balanced representation of men and women from the Netherlands and Germany, the group of six participants brought a diversity of perspectives and expertise to the table. Though this engagement did not involve youth participants, as it was tailored for RETOUCH project partners, it effectively functioned as a “community of practice,” with each participant contributing ideas and best practices from their respective case studies.
The visit was structured in three parts:
- Introduction Presentation: A preparatory session introduced participants to the goals of the WaterProof Experience Container, setting the stage for focused exploration.
- Guided Tour of the Container: During the tour, participants had a first-hand look at how visual and auditory content is used within the container to communicate water management concepts in a dynamic and memorable way.
- Lunch Discussion: The visit concluded with a discussion over lunch, where representatives engaged in open dialogue about communication strategies, including digital innovations such as podcasts, to reach new audiences.
Key Outcomes
This visit exemplified how innovative engagement mechanisms like the WaterProof Experience Container can enhance project visibility and facilitate a broader understanding of water management strategies.
Through collaborations like these, the RETOUCH NEXUS project is advancing its mission to promote sustainable water solutions across diverse communities and sectors.
Feedback from the visit was overwhelmingly positive. Participants appreciated the WaterProof container’s immersive approach, which provided an inspiring environment for sharing ideas on communicating complex project results.
Compared to more conventional tools like websites and flyers, the container showcased alternative methods for stakeholder engagement, sparking a productive exchange of ideas about expanding outreach and enhancing the impact of project messaging.
Next Steps
Looking ahead, VITO will continue leveraging the WaterProof Experience Container as a core engagement tool. In the final year of the WaterProof project, the container will tour selected business parks in each Flemish province, where it will host additional engagement activities. These sessions will include stakeholders from varied sectors, such as local business representatives, park managers, and farmers, fostering discussions on adaptable water management practices that could be implemented across regions.
