Cofunded by the European Union

The second Water4All WOLLs in-person meeting in Banyuls-sur-Mer, France, hosted by BRGM at the Observatoire Océanologique!

This event marks the first full-network gathering since the Brussels launch and the culmination of the first cycle of the WOLLs Network Webinar Series.

Before this meeting, a day dedicated to Water4All members (Pillar D) will take place on November 25, and November 28 will be dedicated to WOLLs of the Pyrénées Orientales.

The conference will take place from 26 to 27 November 2025

The location of the event: Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer: more information here

More on the conference

Who can attend: the WOLLs members: link to register

This meeting offers a unique opportunity to:

  • Consolidate learning outcomes from the webinars
  • Network with other WOLLs and understand their challenges, achievements and practical lessons learnt 
  • Ground discussions in the local context of the Pyrénées Orientales WOLL, where water scarcity,  the impact of climate change, as well as competing water uses are tangible and urgent issues.  
  • Gather practical know-how during workshops
  • Strengthen ties with key stakeholders (e.g. ESA, EU representatives, EU-funded projects) able to support WOLLs. 

In-person exchanges among practitioners will be one of the main benefits of this event and we will dedicate significant time for formal and informal interactions. We therefore strongly encourage in-person participation. We will nevertheless provide hybrid participation for sessions adapted to this form of interaction.

Programme highlights

Wednesday 26 November 

It will feature keynotes on: the promises and challenges of participatory research on Water, new developments in Earth observation for water (ESA), and EU funding opportunities (Water4All).

The session will also focus on multiple interactive workshops on key thematic challenges faced by living labs:

  • Citizen engagement
  • Financial solutions for WOLLs
  • Co-design of water resilience solutions
  • Governance
  • Data sharing and management
  • Roadmap for the capacity development programs of WOLLs

Thursday 27 November

The morning will host a major gathering of WOLLs, with the Pyrénées Orientales WOLL (PO WOLL) members joining the discussions, offering a unique opportunity for exchange and networking. In the afternoon, participants will be invited to a field visit to the PO WOLL site, directly connecting discussions with the urgent local water challenges. 

__

Side-events: 

  • Tuesday 25 November: Annual Pillar D meeting, in person (open only to Pillar D partners).
  • Friday 28 November: Pyrénées Orientales WOLL Launch Conference (in French only).

 

Other news

See all news

The Water4All Partnership - Water Security for the Planet - is a funding programme for scientific research in freshwater. It aims to tackle water challenges to face climate change, help to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and boost the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

It is co-funded by the European Union within the frame of the Horizon Europe programme (a key funding programme for research and innovation). The Partnership duration is for seven years from 2022.

The Water4All objective is to enable water security at a large scale and in the long term. Its goal is also to tackle water issues in a holistic frame. 

All forms of life on earth need water. All human activities operate with this resource. Water is part of our everyday life. It is also integrated within urban and countryside landscapes. It is one of the most valuable elements we share with plants and animals.

These simple facts must be kept in mind to understand the Water4All ambition.

This resource is weakened in many places due to climate changes, and human habits. We know that we can improve the way we use water. Everyone has a role to play and especially the scientific research community.

Scientific research is the heart of the Partnership as It is a powerful tool to improve knowledge on preserving, restoring, and managing this essential resource. 

International cooperation is also needed as water has no borders on Earth and runs from one country to another.

Water4All brings together a broad and cohesive group of 90 partners from 33 countries in the European Union and beyond. This consortium gathers partners from the whole water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) chain.