SpongeWorks

Implementing Nature-based Solutions for

Water Retention and Climate Resilience in Europe

Europe is warming

at twice the global rate.
The future impact of
extreme weather events
depends on the natural
capacity of European
landscapes to retain and
gradually release water,
like a ‘sponge’.

“Spongeworks: Co-creating and
upscaling Sponge Landscapes by
Working with Natural Water Retention
and Sustainable Management" is a
new 15-million euro Horizon Europe
project.

Our mission is to advance scientific
knowledge and implement ‘sponge
measures’ at large scale in 3 European
regions, thus enhancing soil and water
health, and climate resilience.

Through rigorous modelling and
quantification of the impact of applied
measures, we are paving the way for
European-wide adoption of sponge
measures.

3 Large-scale
Demonstrator
Basins

Replication in 8 Associated Regions

SpongeWorks offers a unique opportunity to receive up
to €100,000 in grant funding to develop nature-based
solutions for improving water retention, soil health, and
climate resilience.

Find out more

What are sponge measures?

Sponge measures are Nature-based
Solutions & management instruments
that increase soil health and improve
its capacity to retain and release water
gradually, like a sponge.

They include a variety of of
agricultural and broader management
practices, such as creating hedgerows,
buffer strips, and infiltration ponds, to
restoring rivers and peatlands and
rewetting forests and grasslands.

How can we achieve
widespread replication in
diverse European regions?

Which sponge measures are most effective
for climate resilience, and provide the best
balance of costs Vs benefits?

How can we co-develop action
plans and roadmaps for sponge
strategies at landscape scale?

Which political & social engagement
processes will help stakeholders

co-create and ‘own’ these solutions?

Questions SpongeWorks will address

Consortium & associated partners

• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitaet Hannover (University, Germany) (Coordinator)
• Deltares (Research Institute, Netherlands) (Co-coordinator)
• Office International de l'Eau (OIEau) (France)
• International Network of Basin Organisations (INBO) (France)
• Ellinikos Georgikos Organismos Dimitra, Soil & Water Research Institute (Agricultural Research
  Institute, Greece)
• IIASA (Research Centre, Austria)
• GWP-Med (International Network of Water-related Organisations, Greece)
• Universiteit Twente (University, Netherlands)
• Technische Universitaet Dresden (University, Germany)
• UK Centre For Ecology & Hydrology (Research Centre, UK)
• Ecologic Institut gemeinnützige GmbH (Research Centre, Germany)
• WWF Greece (Environmental NGO, Greece)
• Agrotikos Synetairismos Paragogis Emporias Metapiisis Frouton Kai Kastanon Melivias Athanati
  (Agricultural Cooperative, Greece)
• Dimos Agias (Municipality, Greece)
• Anaptyxiaki Etaireia Dimou Trikkaion Anaptyxiaki Anonymi Etaireia Ota (Municipality, Greece)
• Paseco Sp Ltd (Environmental consultants, Greece)
• Topikos Organismos Eggeion Veltioseon Tavropou Karditsas (Irrigation Association - Greece)
• Adict Solutions (Consultancy, France)
• Chambre Agriculture Ariège (Agricultural Chamber, France)
• Chambre d'agriculture de Haute-Garonne (Agricultural Chamber, France)
• Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique (Research Centre - France)
• Syndicat Mixte Interdépartemental de la Vallée de la Lèze (Regional Authority, France)
• Fruchtwasserverwertungsverband Emlichheim (Irrigation Association, Germany)
• Hardenberg gemeente (Municipality, Netherlands)
• Landkreis Grafschaft Bentheim (Regional Authority, Germany)
• Naturschutzstiftung Grafschaft Bentheim (Nature Management Organisation, Germany)
• Vechteverband ULV 114 (Water-related Network Organisation, Germany)
• Waterschap Vechtstromen (Water Authority, Netherlands)

Knowledge partners

• Decentralized Administration of Thessaly & Central Greece/Thessaly
  Waters Di-rectorate (Greece)
• Region of Thessaly (Greece)
• Ministry of Environment & Energy - General Secretariat of Natural
  Env. & Water (Greece)
• Nature in Occitanie Association (France)
• Nature Conservation association in Ariege Province (France)
• Provincial Council of Haute Garonne (Conseil départemental 31)
  (France)
• Provincial Council of Arriège (Conseil départemental 09) (France)
• Region of Occitanie (France)
• Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture (France)
• Water District Authority Adour Garonne (Agence de l’Eau Adour
  Garonne) (France)
• Emschergenossenschaft/Lippeverband (Germany)
• Emsland Group (Germany)
• EVI Abfallverwertung (Germany)
• Friends of the Earth Germany (Germany)
• German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) (Germany)
• Grenzüberschreitende Plattform für Regionale Wasserwirtschaft
  (Germany)
• Kreis Steinfurt (Germany)
• Landwirtschaftskammer (Germany)
• Lower Saxon State Department for Water, Coastal, and Nature
  Conservation (Germany)
• Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Germany)
• Provincie Overijssel (Netherlands)
• Vereinigung des Emsländischen Landvolkes e.V. (Germany)
• Waterschap DOD (Drentse Overijsselse Delta) (Netherlands)

The SpongeWorks project has received funding from the ​
European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation ​
programme under grant agreement No 101156116 and from
the UK Research and Innovation/HM Government. The ​
project runs from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2028.

This project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions
expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not
necessarily ​reflect those of the European Union or of the UK Research
and Innovation / HM Government. Neither the European Union, the
granting authority nor the UK Research and Innovation / HM
Government can be held responsible for them.

Contact: info@spongeworks.eu