The LIFE Wat’savereuse project successfully concludes

• Institutions from the regions of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Occitania participated in the project.
• The goal of the project was to raise awareness among tourists, accommodations, local communities, and regional authorities about the importance of water saving and reuse in the tourism sector.

The LIFE Wat’savereuse project, initiated in 2020 with the participation of institutions from the regions of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, and Occitania (France), has successfully concluded. The consortium, led by the Euroregion Pyrenees-Mediterranean, included the participation of the Catalan Water Agency, Eurecat, and the Catalan Water Partnership in Catalonia, ABAQUA, AETIB, and Cliq-IB in the Balearic Islands, and AD’OCC and AquaValley in Occitania. The project’s goal was to raise awareness among tourists, accommodations, local communities, and regional authorities about the importance of water conservation and reuse in the tourism sector.

Over the three and a half years of implementation, the project carried out a series of communication campaigns utilizing a wide range of resources and techniques. This included the distribution of informational brochures and other visual materials aimed at promoting sustainable water use among tourists. Additionally, promotional videos were produced to raise awareness about water scarcity, and several workshops were organized for those responsible for tourist accommodations in the involved regions. These workshops emphasized the critical importance of efficient and sustainable water management, showcasing technologies for saving and reusing water, as well as presenting success stories applied to the sector. Notably, these workshops were organized in collaboration with industry associations and local entities, achieving broad dissemination and participation.

The final event of the project took place in Palma (Mallorca) on March 21, coinciding with World Water Day celebrations. The event featured speeches from authorities of the three participating regions, local entities, and representatives from the European Commission, all expressing a strong commitment to sustainability in water use within the tourism industry. During the event, Xavier Bernard-Sans, Secretary General of the Euroregion Pyrenees-Mediterranean, presented the project’s most notable results. It was highlighted that LIFE Wat’savereuse successfully raised awareness among more than 14 million tourists and over 3,000 hotel establishments during its execution, significantly contributing to the awareness of the importance of sustainable water management in the tourism sector. Regarding regional policies, emphasis was placed on the grants aimed at promoting water saving and reuse projects in tourist accommodations by the Directorate General of Tourism of the Government of Catalonia and a similar grant line already announced in the Balearic Islands.

This project represented a significant step towards sustainable water management in the tourism industry and set a precedent for transnational collaboration in addressing environmental challenges in the context of tourism. Its legacy will endure in future policies and practices, promoting responsible and efficient use of water resources in the participating regions.