STEER workshop on improving groundwater protection in the Weser-Ems region

On March 4, 2020, the STEER project hosted a workshop within the scope of its Weser-Ems case study to discuss how to improve groundwater protection in the light of changing agricultural conditions.

The Weser-Ems region is – alongside case studies from South Africa, Mongolia, Iran and Spain – one of five project regions of the STEER joint project. Groundwater pollution and drinking water protection are issues of high priority in the Lower Saxony project region, as changing legal framework conditions put pressure to adapt on local stakeholders, such as farmers, authorities and water suppliers.

The workshop "Groundwater and drinking water protection after the amendment of the Fertilizer Ordinance – New Concepts for the Weser-Ems Region" therefore brought together participants from various sectors, including representatives from agriculture, the population, water suppliers, authorities, research institutions and the church. In a first World Café, the participants addressed the amendment to the Fertilizer Ordinance and associated legal fertilizer requirements from an administrative and regulatory point of view. A second World Café discussed options and new pathways for cooperation in the field of drinking water protection.

A summary of the workshop results can be found here (in German only).