On Friday, 12 June, the RETOUCH NEXUS team brought together researchers and stakeholders in Valencia for a hands-on workshop dedicated to the Júcar River Basin.
Putting the Hydroeconomic Model to the Test
The core objective of the session was to validate the results of the water pricing policies developed under RETOUCH NEXUS, using our hydroeconomic modelling approach. Participants reviewed how different pricing scenarios could help rebalance water supply and demand in a basin already facing significant environmental pressures: ecosystems operating below ecological thresholds, chronic groundwater depletion, agricultural pollution from nitrates and phytosanitary products, and a persistent gap between water availability and demand.
Feedback on the RETOUCH NEXUS Dashboard
Beyond the modelling results, the workshop gave us the chance to present the dashboard now available on the RETOUCH NEXUS website, and to gather direct feedback from the room on how the results are displayed and communicated. This kind of input is invaluable as we refine the tool to make complex hydroeconomic outputs accessible and useful for policymakers, water managers, and researchers alike.
A Participatory Exchange
True to the project’s collaborative spirit, the session was highly participatory, bringing together stakeholders and researchers from a wide range of backgrounds, water agencies, academic institutions, and practitioners all contributed their perspectives, enriching the discussion around economic instruments such as pricing policies, insurance mechanisms, water markets, payments for ecosystem services, and public-private partnerships.
