2.1 Information Sources Review:
collecting and processing of information
The purpose of this activity, carried out between June 2013 and February 2014, was to better
understand the water landscape by looking at water policies, RDI programmes, and existing so-
cietal, scientific and technological challenges in order to identify: (i) potential new core themes
and subthemes for the Water JPI; and (ii) current and emerging RDI needs/objectives.
7
The fol-
lowing information sources have been reviewed (Annex III gives the full list of references):
• National RDI programmes;
8
• Deliverable 2.1 of the WatEUr project, aimed at mapping European water RDI (policies and
strategies, funding schemes and performance);
• Strategic agenda of the EIP and related action groups;
• Strategic agenda of the WssTP;
• Policy documents, including the Water Blueprint and European roadmaps;
• Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges 2 and 5 – 2014–2015 Work Programme;
• Foresight studies.
All the identified RDI needs/objectives were compiled in a single list and classified in themes
and subthemes.
A thorough search for relevant foresight studies was made between June 2013 and September 2013 in
bibliographic databases, foresight consultancy websites, national/ European/international institutional
sites, funding councils and search engines. The search was restricted to studies covering Europe and as-
sociated countries, and written in one of the working languages of the European Union (English, French
and German). The following keywords were used for the identification of foresight studies: Foresight, Sce-
narios, Horizon Scanning, Forward Looking Activities, Futurology, Future Studies, Future Research, Delphi
Method, Backcasting, Roadmap, Future Workshop.
Thirty-six foresight studies were singled out and reviewed by experts. Figure 2 gives the distribution of
studies by theme.
Figure 2. Distribution of foresight studies by theme of the Water JPI.
9
