"<< Background >>Environmental problems, which emerged as a result of the approach of human beings that can be summarized as ""dominating nature"" and ""using nature unkindly"" from past to present, are one of the basic problems of world societies. Increasing demand for resources has led to a gradual loss of yield and a decrease in biodiversity. Depletion and pollution of water resources can cause serious problems, and water scarcity could affect up to a third of the world's population by 2025, according to the EU environment and climate report.Environmental pollution for every country has reached terrible levels. This situation is a problem for the whole world and European countries. All European countries accept that we need to start by solving environmental problems if we want to raise a healthy society. The way to European citizenship is to have environmental awareness. If we want to spread and develop environmental awareness and European citizenship awareness, it is necessary to start with school education and the awareness of teachers. All over the world, change and development starts with education. Schools and teachers have a lot to do at this point. For this reason, we want to be involved in European and Erasmus + activities, as a grant, to raise awareness of combating environmental pollution and climate change and to pass it on to future generations.Among the EU Targets, the activities planned on combating environment and climate change are among the horizontal priority issues. At the same time, environmental awareness focuses on being inclusive and holistic as it is a common problem of people of all ages, race and religion, and in this respect, it is among the EU Erasmus + priority goals with its subject and features.With LTT activities, we want to enable our teachers and students to be an active part of a solution in solving environmental problems with STEAM-based methods and techniques. We want to develop a common European citizenship consciousness with our project, which is a collaborative work involving organizations of different structures, schools and non-governmental organizations for our world, which is the common value of all countries.<< Objectives >>Our project is about environmental pollution, its consequences and climate change. ""Environmental pollution"" is the intense mixing of foreign substances that affect the life activities of the living elements of the environment negatively and cause structural damage on the non-living elements and spoil their qualities with the air, water and soil. Climate changes are a type of atmospheric or astronomical changes that are scientifically studied according to climatology. The first step taken against climate change at the international level is the ""First World Climate Conference"", which was organized by the World Meteorological Organization in 1979 and where issues related to global climate were discussed for the first time in the international arena, and the ""Intergovernmental Climate Change Panel"" established by the UN and the World Meteorological Organization in 1988. (IPCC) also plays an active role in the formation of international cooperation on climate change.Environmental right is one of the most fundamental human rights for every individual. Every step taken for the environment is an important step taken for humanity. Nature works in its own order, and the environment is one of these factors. People should know the order of the environment in which they live and act in accordance with this order. Unfortunately, we humans often fail to follow this simple rule. Environment and climate change represent the most important and challenging policy areas of the EU. Sustainability is of great importance to enable future generations to use and benefit from natural resources.Before creating the project, “Environmental Literacy Scale” was given to teachers and students separately. The results of it has showed us that our teachers at partner schools have insufficient environmental knowledge scores. On the other hand, the results show that our teachers have environmentally oriented thinking and positive environmental awareness. The environmental knowledge scores, whose levels are quite low, were observed to be quite insufficient. Lest our students had low environmental knowledge awareness levels and their environmental knowledge scores were quite insufficient. As partner countries we want to contribute to the environment and solve out environmental problems. We want to achieve it by either reducing rubbish and waste amounts or make advantage of them by using STEAM applications. Using existing resources economically, preferring sustainable energy resources, stop wasting and saving from electricity bills, reducing consumption products and creating a ""carbon and ecological footprint"" are among the contributions we are planning to have with our project.We want raise up individuals who benefit from the STEAM applications of scientific and technological developments in the 21st century for finding solutions to environmental problems, realize the importance of green areas and do their best to greening, have knowledge about the definition, types and management of waste, gain experience about the importance and ways of recycling.<< Implementation >>We will conduct it as partner 7 countries. These:1. LTT :Environmental Awareness with STEAM Applications and Experimental Kits (Italy)Our Goals for Students:Realization of a learning session with a gamification approach based on low-cost materials with Kit 1Children in the role of sustainability detectives are divided into working groups and discover objects, tools, tests to pass, materials and instructions to conduct simple experiments. To ensure that all participants receive basic information about the environment, waste, sustainable life,Goals for our Educators: The laboratory learns activities that involve, encourage and interest children using collaborative learning methodology, inspired by the IBSE (Inquiry Based Science Education) approach and aiming to develop the ability to use scientific knowledge in concrete situations2. LLT Sustainable production and Green Skills for the Future (Estonia)These LTT goals are, To be aware of the return on production and consumption and green skills for a sustainable environment. To experience measuring the pollution of the water with experimental kits.Learn by doing and living.To be a part of nature with permanent learning about the future, to be conscious of protecting it, to understand the necessity of recycling and sustainable energy resources. Start adapting our green skills into our everyday lives. As a result of this LLT our students and educators will be more aware of the environmental problems that the world have. Educators and students who are equipped with STEAM skills that they will be able to apply recycling and waste management in every part of their lives They will do their best to adapt their lives as being more green and turn more towards energy resources that are friendly with the environment. 3.LLT To Measure the Soil Pollution with STEAM Applications and Experimental Kits (Portugal)Targets for our trainers participating in LTT; Experiencing STEM-based methods and techniques, environmental awareness, observing analysis and interpretation skills in different examples of soil pollution, gaining awareness about recycling and waste management, Experiencing learning ways through travel and observation, Results for our students; Learning to build relationships and scientific ways about STEAM Raising awareness of gaining ideas about waste management and recycling transformation, Learning to use scientific ways and methods and gaining problem solving skills To gain awareness of soil pollution and to witness it in experimental ways, Developing our foreign language experience by cooperating with our foreign friends 4.LLT Plastic recovery and recycling targets and annual action plan waste (Germany )To learn about recycling waste management, Obtaining ideas on gas emissions and effects of biogas plants, Thinking about water pollution and the water crisis it causes, reducing water consumption. Awareness of how wastes pollute our environment, how energy can be used as efficiently as possible, how we can prevent waste and how we can use the wastes we produce in creative and beneficial ways, Water pollution, awareness of water use and ability to rise awareness on this issue and fulfill our duties as individuals Awareness on release and effects of bio gases Understanding the importance of waste management and recycling and being a part of the solution, Prevention of waste in our daily lives by empathizing with drama activity Recognizing consumption with ecological footprint, understanding the importance of waste prevention and recyclingmanagement2 Transnational Meetings (Malta and Turkey/Adana)<< Results >>With this project, we aim to create personal responsibility among students in Europe through environmental awareness in order to promote the active citizenship element of democratic society. We aim at the point of transition to individual activism in order to eliminate the consequences of global warming and the future of our world.Concrete results-Environmental surveys will be conducted at the beginning and end of the project.- Aaction plan to combat environmental pollution will be prepared. The articles of it will be added to school strategic plans .- An information form of 20-30 artcles on environmental pollution and climate change will be prepared for our students and teachers.- By establishing the link between the acquired knowledge, activities and mobility 1. Ecology, water pollution, 2. Air pollution and climate change, Natural disasters 3. Waste recycling, renewable energy resources and savings 4. Soil pollution pollution are composed of these 4 modules. A change information kit will be prepared. (6 native languages)These prepared informative kits will be shared on the project official website and they will be transferred to e-book and project handbook.- To realize the importance of green areas.-The experimental kit and environmental pollution and climate change kit will be prepared..An official website for our project will be created.- We aim to bring positive attitudes and behaviors by reducing the carbon footprint of individuals against the climate change, reducing the ecological footprint of consumption products, and reducing energy use. Encourage to walk or cycle, and to use public transport instead of using private cars-Every year, an environment-themed painting contest will be held to raise awareness among students. A calander will be created by using the first 12 pictures which got the highest records from the selection committiee in partner countries. Every country will have their own calander printed as a dissemination activity . We will focus on Water Day, ,Forest Day and Environment Day will be widely included in the calendar.-A case study based on research and questionnaire will be conducted on water pollution and its effects on life.Abstract results:-Equipping individuals with the knowledge, values, behaviors, responsibilities and skills they need to protect the environment,- To create behavioral changes in societies, groups and individuals to protect the environment, and to achieve these goals: Awareness (Sensitivity and Awareness on environmental issues)- Creating desired behaviors in individuals by taking initiative in issues such as creating responsibility for the environment, development and protection of it.- Ensuring individual development for the solution, research and definition of environmental problems-Recognizing the importance of recycling and green areas- Gaining awareness on issues such as renewable energy and waste managementMultipler EventsWith our multiplier effect eco workshops and project launching meeting, we will draw attention to environmental pollution and climate change, and we will inspire environmental projects to be written as an example of good practice and cooperation. Thus, we will reach larger groupsOutput of the Project Result In cooperation with the departments responsible for national education in the district/region in our provinces, R&D units environmental pollution and climate change kit (e-book, brochure etc. in the kit) will be sent not only to 5 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, 5 high schools in our city,region that conduct environment projects but also to 5 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, 5 high schools, 4 foundations or associations that carry out local/regional/international activities projects on consciousness of environment pollution and climate change. They will be informed about the links of our official website in order to visit and use the materials on our website."

The overall objective of the project is to increase the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of the post-farming processing chain of organic citrus fruit, by intervening points of weakness and the unresolved problems of this supply chain. Consistently with the scope, specific objectives include: i) Reduction (from 30 to 0.5%) of losses caused by post-harvest rots during storage and transportation, by treating the fruits with non-toxic, eco-friendly substances and bio-products compatible with organic food as an alternative option to synthetic fungicides (innovative green technology) ii) raising of the quality standards of fresh fruits and juice by using molecular diagnostics (innovative biotechnology) for the detection of pathogenic quarantine fungi (zero tolerance) and mycotoxins (under detectable levels) and excluding fruits that do not comply with EU and EPPO phytopathological and toxicological standards; iii) extension of the shelf-life (from 40 to 45-50 days for oranges; from 60 to 70 days for lemons) of fresh fruit using biodegradable active biocoating and smart packaging; iv) application of smart technologies (ICT-based technologies and machine learning techniques) to reduce shipping times and optimize the delivery of fruits to the targeted markets (20% increase in shipment efficiency and exclusion of complaints or cuts by GDO; v) minimizing the waste (reduction up to 80%) of the industrial fruit transformation by recycling and exploiting the most of citrus pulp, the major by-product of juice and essence industry, by utilizing it as a raw material to produce a biodegradable and natural biocoating of fruit packaging, in accordance with the principles of circular economy and the standards of organic food.

The overall objective of SWRIPS project is to increase the efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness of the water usage in the agri-food supply chain (SC) in the EU-Med area under a circular economy approach aimed to saving water and minimize the external use of resources, avoiding further contamination of land and water. SWRIPS addresses the thematic “Water Management - Prevent and reduce land and water salinization and pollution due to agri-food activities”. It aims to recover the wastewater produced in the agri-food processing and to reuse the purified water for fertigation purpose while at the same time recovering the substances produced in the process as a matrix for fertilizer, thus putting in place a virtuous cycle that reduces the overall consumption of freshwater, guarantees water availability to farmers, reduce soil drying out and the overall amount of additional fertilizers, is cost effective both for agri-food industries and farmers and, finally, is environmental and human-health friendly. SWRIPS will achieve it by implementing a circular economy and management system based on a Life Cycle Assessment: the environmental impact would be considered along the entire production chain, from the cultivation to the food processing and end-of-life water cycle. SWRIPS aims to demonstrate the possibility to -reduce the problem of scarcity of freshwater and of excessive salinization of the soil and contamination of aquifers, particularly critical in the Mediterranean areas, through the recovery of agri-food industry wastewater for fertigation; -reduce the need of external fertilizers and therefore the presence of nitrates, phosphates, sulphates etc. through the re-use of water and excess sludge produced in the purification process; - provide, thanks to an innovative integrated monitoring system, a continuous control of the quality of purified water, also guaranteeing the possibility of early warning in case of excessive pollutant levels (organic components, pesticides, metals) in any of the purification phases - control, through microbiology and chemical-physical analyses, all the relevant water, soil and crop parameters involved in the process to define fertiliser application better tailored to crop needs, soil conditions, and the agroecosystem's nitrogen cycle. - develop a flexible and cost-effective system that allows an optimized use based on crop seasonality and characteristics of the water to be treated, typical of the agri-food industry under study. SWRIPS identifies 3 fundamental innovative technical elements: -an innovative multi-stage purification system based on aerobic granular biomass and nanocomposite and photocatalyst based filters to remove pollutants; -an integrated test system for continuous monitoring of the physical and microbio-chemical parameters of the purified water, consisting of a compact solid-state UV spectroscopy apparatus and visible sensing system for early warning; -the usage of innovative deep-learning algorithms to optimize the whole water/crop cycle and reduce water footprint and environmental impact on water basins, soil and crop itself. SWRIPS will test the system in three sites and different agri-food SCs: citrus in Sicily, tomato canning in Tunisia and oil industry in Algeria. SWRIPS foresees a very strong consortium combining expertise in the development and set-up of innovative wastewater treatment and sensors with those of control software development and advanced optimization algorithms. SWRIPS partners have documented experience in quality water and fertilization crop control. These experiences are complemented by the technical-engineering ones on water distribution. An added value for SWRIPS is the presence of the end-users of the process: agricultural consortia and agri-food industries. This will allow not only to test the system in the laboratory and through software models but also to test its functionality in the field, in different operating and environmental conditions