Stakeholder engagement

WORK PACKAGE 2

What we set out to do

The project’s stakeholders are those who enjoy, live and work near our study sites, and those who are part of coastal communities up and down the Irish Sea coast. The stakeholder engagement team reached out to these groups, which includes (but is not limited to) children and young people, organisations involved in the management and conservation of birds and habitats in coastal sites, landowners, and those with a casual interest in birds or biodiversity in their local areas.

An overarching goal of the project was to raise awareness of the potential impacts of climate change and our shared challenges and opportunities. The ECHOES team engaged with existing groups through holding events such as talks and workshops, in order to build a picture of our current shared understanding, and to inform stakeholders about the activities and findings of the project.

The team actively engaged with potential users of the ECHOES platform, especially coastal land managers and those making policies to protect these areas. The stakeholder engagement team worked together with colleagues at Compass Informatics to gather the ideas and requirements of these user groups, which fed into the tools and information that were developed within the ECHOES platform.

Lead: Geo Smart Decisions

Process and Results

Below are some of the types of initiatives and events that were carried out as part of ECHOES, to raise awareness about climate change and engage with local communities and other stakeholders.

  • Interactive workshops with young people in Ireland and Wales

  • Talks and guided walks by researchers

  • Cork Science Week
  • Media articles and features
  • User requirement workshops and webinar with land managers and policy makers regarding the ECHOES Platform

The presentation below was given at the ECHOES Project Closure Conference on 9 March 2023.