Participation in the North Adriatic (BHAM)

Background

One of the main issues in the management of the North Adriatic coastal areas is bathing water quality. In order to support coastal municipalities in the management and monitoring of bathing water quality, Ca’ Foscari University has developed a short-term forecasting model named Beach Health Advisory Model (BHAM).

Initial considerations

The development of a coastal bathing water quality model requires the involvement of stakeholders dealing with spatial planning and water resources management (e.g. rivers, coastal waters, sewage systems) in order to collect the best information to satisfy local management requirements.

Modifications and Realization

Stakeholders were involved in a consultation process (by semi –structured interviews). In particular the participatory strategy meant to:

• Gain comprehensive information regarding territorial characteristics.
• Validate/modify the parameters considered within the model.
• Obtain data and foster collaboration on further development of the model.

Experiences made and lessons learned

• In order to optimize time availability, all the interviews should be scheduled in the same period.
• The interviewer should be able to lead stakeholders towards the focus topic.
• Especially when data and further collaboration are required it is extremely important to send a feedback on the outcomes to the stakeholders.