SmartWater adressess small farmers, micro agriculture enterprises and water management. The project focuses on smart solutions for climate change-driven management.
Agriculture in the Baltic Sea region is directly affected by climate change, today and in the future. Prolonged droughts, low ground and surface water levels and torrential rains are potential threats. The SmartWater project wants to see local and tangible solutions to these problems. It stresses that small farmers and micro enterprises are key actors in the process of climate change adaption. Yet, water management-oriented climate adoptions often focus on big business actors, while small enterprises’ agendas are overlooked.
SmartWater suggests that small farmers and micro agriculture enterprises in the Baltic Sea region require on-farm water management which is adjusted to their scale. Therefore, the project will present usable pilots for sustainable climate adjusted water management. These solutions should be well-adjusted for the scale of the farms and enterprises as well as simple, cheap, and accessible. To achieve this, SmartWater will establish a network of local authorities and non-governmental organizations in the Baltic Sea region and the Eastern Partnership countries. The activities include a study visit to Sweden, needs assessments and elaborations of at least four pilots which will be beneficial for small farmers.