The Department of Hydrogeology and Engineerging Geology of the Croatian Geological Survey (HGI-CGS) successfully convened the Kick-off meeting of the MicroDrink project as scheduled from March 6th – 8th, 2024, in Zagreb, Croatia. This meeting, marking the commencement of the project, saw active participation from all 11 partner institutions from 8 countries (Croatia, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Czechia, Hungary, Germany, Slovenia and Serbia).
Day 01 of the meeting commenced with a presentation by the Joint Secretary representative Mr. Gusztáv Csomor on the Danube Region Programme, highlighting the approval of the MicroDrink project. Subsequent lectures by representatives from The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), Adam Kovacs, and The EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), Diána Heilmann, focused on the challenges of plastic pollution in the Danube River Basin and measures to address microplastics contamination, respectively. The lead partner, HGI-CGS, delivered an introductory project presentation outlining the project’s objectives, timeline, financial aspects, and partner-specific matters. Additionally, each of the eleven project partner institution was introduced. Dedicated sessions facilitated discussions on Specific Objective 1 „Developing transnational knowledge base on microplastics in Danube region drinking water resources“ and Specific Objective 2 „Occurrence of microplastics in the water environment used for drinking water supply“.
Day 02 featured an excursion to the Croatian pilot area situated in Gorski kotar region (part of the Kupa River catchment area), providing participants with practical insights into the pilot action context related to sampling of microplastics within the waterwork facility.
On Day 03, representatives of project partners presented lectures on their respective pilot actions, furthering discussions on Specific Objective 2 and Specific Objective 3 „Capacity building for management of microplastics in drinking water facilities (from source to tap)“. The day concluded with a project communication session led by the Communication Manager the Faculty of Mining and Geology from the University of Beograd, focusing on visual identity, branding, and initial communication tasks.
The Kick-off meeting served as a platform for fruitful discussions, fostering collaboration among project partners and laying the groundwork for the successful implementation of the MicroDrink project.
