SpongeWorks aims to address floods, droughts and biodiversity decline by advancing new approaches for enhancing the water retention capacity of landscapes in Europe.
Christian Albert
SpongeWorks Coordinator, Leibniz University Hannover
SpongeWorks is an EU-funded project tackling the growing risks of floods and droughts intensified by climate change. By testing and scaling Sponge Measures, the project strengthens soil, groundwater, and surface water systems to improve water retention and resilience. Working with local stakeholders, SpongeWorks develops landscape-level strategies that enhance water resilience and deliver wide-ranging environmental and social benefits.
SpongeWorks in numbers
15 million
Horizon Europe project,
funded by the EU & UKRI
3 demonstrator basins
+ upscaling in 8 Associated Regions
27 Consortium Partners
+ 23 Knowledge Partners + 8 Associated Regions
4-year project
from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2028
4000
Hectares of land
47
Kilometers of rivers
800
Individual farms
300
Stakeholders
News
Horizon Europe SpongeWorks: One year of turning ‘sponge’ knowledge into climate resilience
Co-Creating Climate-Resilient Landscapes with SpongeWorks communities
Turning Soil into a Sponge in the fields of the Pinios River Basin
Innovative “Sponge Park” in Trikala, Greece, Leads the Way for Pan-European Demonstrations of Nature-Based Solutions
Expanding the Sponge Network: Eight Regions Tackle Climate Challenges with Nature-Based Solutions for enhanced water retention
Effective governance for implementing nature-based solutions on a large scale
Farming the Future: Pinios River Basin Adopts State-of-the-Art Low Tillage Solutions
Response to SpongeWorks Open Call indicates overwhelming demand to upscale ‘sponge measures’ across Europe
