AT-11 :: Participative research and communication

Austrian citizens are not informed sufficiently on topics concerning soil and land management. Appropriate (public) awareness would help to bring the topic further along on the political agenda. Scientific research should be more accessible to the public (i.e. communicated understandably). The workshop participants urge for a committed budget for communication and awareness raising in research programs and projects, public participation and measures oriented to implement strategies. Awareness raising and demonstration of consequential costs of land use changes have to be one of the main outcomes of research projects.

Net impacts
• If no funding can be found to implement research projects where needed, is crowd funding a sustainable option?
• What requirements are necessary to increase participation on all levels within research projects?
• How can the impact of research projects be assessed regarding the improvement of public awareness?
• How can participation and communication improve the overuse of allocation of building land?
• Develop and implement easy and accessible communication tools for the public to raise their concerns and problems (e.g. interactive panels to connect scientists and people interested in science).
• Create soil function maps to show ideal and actual usages of areas.
• Create better information, data and imagery for the media to support alternative lifestyles beside the one-family homes.