D-EFFECT in the Spotlight during the Interreg South Baltic Monitoring Committee Meeting

Yesterday, during the Monitoring Committee meeting – held this year in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship to mark the Polish Presidency – we had the honour of presenting the D-EFFECT project. The meeting aimed to showcase the outcomes of projects implemented in the region and their impact on local development and the quality of life of its residents.

The D-EFFECT project – Lessons in Democracy for Civil Society: Integrating the Youth Perspective into Policy-Making at All Levels in Line with the Youth Strategy 2022–2027 – was presented by Marcin Żuchowski, Director of the Association of Polish Communes Euroregion Baltic (lead partner), and Maksymilian Grzeszczak, representative of the Municipality of Olsztynek (project partner).

During the presentation, the main objectives of the project were outlined, with a focus on the development of local democratic festivals as an innovative method of encouraging youth civic engagement. Specific tools were showcased, such as roundtables, live history lessons, cross-sectoral activities, and local civic initiatives. The speakers discussed the progress of project implementation and the challenges related to broad inclusion of young people and local communities. They also highlighted the local perspective by sharing concrete results and experiences from the project’s implementation in the Municipality of Olsztynek.

The D-EFFECT project was warmly received by members of the Committee, who expressed appreciation for its value and alignment with Priority 4.1 of the programme – strengthening cooperation between civil society actors in the South Baltic region.

Primary School No. 5 in Braniewo at SferaLab

The WaterMan Project and Another Group of Braniewo Youth Exploring the World of Responsible Water Management!

Today, students from Primary School No. 5 named after the Land of Braniewo visited the Elbląg Technology Park. This was the third meeting in the Sfera Lab educational series. Just like their peers from previous schools, today’s participants took part in workshops focused on water conservation, reuse, and the concept of water footprint.

During the workshops, students:

And tomorrow, another school will be expanding its ecological knowledge!

Climate Consultations in Braniewo

Today, a consultation meeting was held at the Braniewo Cultural Centre as part of the WaterMan project, focusing on the city of Braniewo’s adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

The programme included presentations on:

The meeting brought together representatives from local administration, scientific institutions, and residents interested in local climate policy.

The WaterMan project is implemented under the Interreg Baltic Sea Region programme.

Project meeting in Söderhamn 26-27.05.2025

The last year of the project on full swing

03 June 2025

During the last week of May, NURSECOAST-II project partners gathered in the scenic city of Söderhamn, Sweden, for a multi-day meeting focused on sustainable water management and wastewater seasonality issues in the Baltic Sea region.

Archipelago cruise and life-cycle assessment discussions

The meeting began with a guided cruise around the Söderhamn archipelago, including a visit to the island of Rönnskär, a city-owned destination which attracts many summer visitors. High seasonality makes the challenges the island is facing very relevant for our project. We met a daughter of the island’s former ship pilot, who led a fascinating tour of the historic pilot station. Participants learned about the island’s history, including how solid waste was traditionally transported in barrels and how electricity was connected only in 2007.
A local biologist shared insights into ongoing ecological changes in the archipelago, including eutrophication. This was followed by an in-depth Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) presentation by project partners Jolanta Dvarionienė and Jari Heiskanen.

The second day introduces local perspectives and innovations

Tuesday began with an introduction to the city of Söderhamn and its environmental challenges by the representative of the municipality. Later, we heard more on Sweden’s ecosystem-based management efforts, engaging a wide range of actors in restoration work.

We also heard about the NURSECOAST-II pilot updates. Pilot 3 shared updates on overcoming nanobubble membrane clogging with a new rotating disc solution. Project manager Ksawery Kuligowski also provided a valuable update on lessons from the project and led a panel discussion. In addition, we heard from the Swedish project partners about another exciting project called MustBe that they are part of.

The day concluded with a tour of the Granskär wastewater treatment plant, originally built for 20000 PE and currently handling 14000 PE. The plant plays a vital role in local wastewater treatment, it has combined pipes from households and street. although the archipelago itself remains disconnected, relying on greywater separation and incineration.

Sharing cross-border experiences is valuable

The third day of the field trip featured examples and case studies from Polish municipalities, which are heavily influenced by tourists. These also highlighted the impact of tourism on wastewater infrastructure. With some municipalities experiencing a staggering 2000% seasonal increase in visitors, managing uneven wastewater distribution remains a significant challenge.

The meeting offered a rich exchange of experiences, challenges, and innovations, underscoring the importance of cross-border collaboration in tackling environmental pressures in coastal and island regions.

Streets for the Youth project in Gdynia

Yesterday we visited Gdynia, where a study visit took place with the participation of the Youth City Council of Gdynia and representatives of the Gdynia City Office. During the meeting, we exchanged experiences, inspirations and ideas on how young people can co-create public spaces friendly to all generations. We discussed the next steps in the project of revitalizing urban spaces. We talked about the location of pilot activities and about plans for cooperation with young residents in the coming months.

Gdynia is another city on the project map and another step towards a common vision of the City 2050.

Sphere Lab as part of Waterman project with SP6 in Braniewo

How to take care of water? Another group of young people from Braniewo already knows it!

The Elblag Technology Park hosted another Sfera Lab educational workshop organized under the WaterMan project. This time our guests were students from Sport Primary School No.6 of Braniewo, accompanied by Tomasz Sielicki Mayor of Braniewo.

During the classes, the youngsters passionately discovered the great importance of saving and reusing water. Participants explored the topic of water footprint, i.e. the hidden consumption of water in the production of food and everyday objects.

The young researchers conducted experiments and participated in practical tasks, learned about innovative technological solutions to conserve water resources, and shared ideas for everyday activities that make a real difference in reducing water consumption.

The commitment and curiosity of the participants show that the young generation wants and is able to act for sustainable development.

This was the second in a series of six meetings - more workshops with students of Braniewo schools are ahead.