Brussels, 13 November 2025
The IDRON project, Innovative Dual sustainable solutions for Rural water scarcity and use OptimizatioN, officially kicked off this week. As an associated partner, ELARD was present on 10–11 November at the University of Patras, Greece. The two-day event gathered project partners, regional authorities, and water-management experts from across Europe to launch the first phase of this new Interreg Euro-MED initiative.
The project aims to develop, test, and upscale innovative approaches to address water scarcity in rural Mediterranean regions. It focuses on building a comprehensive knowledge base, testing cutting-edge solutions in real-life pilot areas, and ensuring that successful strategies are transferred to other territories.
Representing ELARD, Vice-President Iro Tsimpri delivered a keynote intervention during the stakeholder exchange session on Day 2. In her presentation, she highlighted five inspiring LEADER good practices demonstrating how LAGs across Europe, and most particularly the Mediterranean, are supporting efficient and sustainable water management: from smart irrigation systems and water-saving technologies in agriculture to community-led watershed protection and circular approaches to water reuse.
Her intervention showcased the unique added value of the LEADER methodology in rural resilience, emphasising bottom-up innovation, cross-sector cooperation, and strong community engagement. As water scarcity intensifies across the Mediterranean basin, LEADER experiences provide concrete examples of how local actors can co-design tailored and effective solutions.
ELARD’s role in the IDRON Project
As a European network representing over 2,600 Local Action Groups, ELARD will contribute to IDRON as both an end-user and an observer/supporter:
– End-user: ELARD will ensure that knowledge, methodologies, and tools developed within IDRON are disseminated widely across rural Europe through its extensive LAG network.
– Observer/supporter: The organisation will participate in workshops, peer-learning activities, and study visits, providing strategic insight rooted in long experience with community-led local development.
– By bridging the project with rural stakeholders, ELARD will help ensure that IDRON outputs are widely transferable, scalable, and aligned with real community needs
For more information about the project, please visit: