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.

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.

Questions SpongeWorks will address

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

Which political & social engagement ​processes will help stakeholders

co-create and ‘own’ these solutions?

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

How can we achieve ​widespread replication in ​diverse European regions?

SpongeWorks in numbers

€ 15-million Horizon Europe project, ​funded by the EU & UKRI.

3 large-scale demonstrators

+ upscaling in 8 associated regions

28 consortium partners, coordinated by

Leibniz University Hannover & Deltares

4-year project, running from

1 September 2024 to 31 August 2028

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 Organisatons (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 Metapoiisis 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. The ​project will run from 1 September 2024 to 31 August 2028.

This is the temporary website.

The full website will be functional by March 2025.

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. Neither the European Union ​nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.