Seventeen new subsidised projects showcased their innovations

At the second matchmaking event at the Social Impact Factory in Utrecht on 16 January, seventeen projects were showcased that have recently been awarded financial support through the Partners for Water Subsidy Scheme. The presentations took place in three different rooms, where the enthusiastic audience of about fifty people was divided. Afterwards, attendees had the opportunity to visit each room, ask questions to the presenters, and, of course, make valuable connections and exchange ideas. As Hugo de Vries (PfW) explained in his introduction speech, the presentations provided valuable insights into what other organisations are working on and the goals they aim to achieve with the support of Partners for Water.

During the presentations, Gregor van Essen from The Water Agency discussed the Green Batik Pekalongan initiative. This two-year pilot project in Indonesia aims to develop a sustainable water management model for the batik industry, which has been crucial to the country since the 17th century but is known for its high water consumption. The project will test water conservation solutions at selected workshops and, in the next phase, establish a Green Batik Centre at Universitas Pekalongan (the “Capital of Batik”) to promote sustainable production practices.

Additionally, Livio Bod from SPAAK presented a pilot project in Morocco’s Boulemane region, which introduces a Nature-based Solution (NBS) to improve water catchment and retention in agricultural soils. By combining rain and flood analysis, advanced software, and local knowledge, this project aims to validate the approach for large-scale implementation across Morocco, where agriculture is a key economic sector.