Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Programme 2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A France - Belgium - The Netherlands - United Kingdom (Les Deux Mers / Two seas / Twee Zeeën)

Date of latest update: 2024-03-26

Description

Description (EN):

The overall objective is to build resilience against droughts (and extreme precipitation events) through Ecosystem based Adaptation measures. Therefore it is our key objective to develop and implement a PES-model (Payment for Ecosystem Services) that facilitates the actual implementation of Ecosystem Based Adaptation measures. Independent organisations that work on landscape rehabilitation can thus play a role as "ethical brokers" in providing services (by selecting/funding/implementing measures) to society. By identifying, quantifying and demonstrating the additional benefits (ecosystem services) of the ecosystem-based adaptation measures, it becomes possible to recognize the full spectrum of the benefits (Ecosystem Services) that are associated with Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA) measures and provide additional leverage for implementation.

Achievements (EN):

Water in our landscapes is valuable, let’s not waste it. The recurring dry spells and heat waves remind us of the challenges we face to safeguard and restore raw water resources in often degraded landscapes. This is crucially important in our journey towards climate adaptation, as extreme rainfall as well as drought events become more and more common. The PROWATER partnership contributed to these challenges, and help find space for water in our landscapes. Through Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), a Nature-based approach to climate adaptation, the partnership delivers ecosystem services including the retention and infiltration of rainwater in our landscapes. Examples of such measures include the restoration of temporal wetlands, permanent wetlands, infiltration zones and river valleys. These measures can be integrated into our natural and agricultural landscapes. In time of flood risk, they help lower the high water peaks in brooks and rivers by storing water in the landscape. In time of drought and increased water demand, the water stored in the landscape can be released back to the environment. As a first step, it is crucially important to determine in what location these different types of Ecosystem-based Adaptation measures should be implemented, to reach the desired impact on water infiltration and retention. PROWATER facilitated this (spatial) vision building exercise for Ecosystem-based Adaptation. The partnership developed a participatory approach to spatial vision building for Ecosystem-based Adaptation at the catchment-level. This approach relies on the following steps: 1) Understanding the catchment 2) Identifying water resource risks & challenges 3) Identifying & engaging stakeholders 4) Ecosystem-based Adaptation targeting 5) Ecosystem Service quantification 6) Monitoring & adjustment where needed To support this process, project partner University of Antwerp developed a toolbox, including a spatial prioritisation tool (water system map) and an impact assessment tool. Overall, PROWATER strengthened the business case for EbA and watershed Ecosystem Services (including infiltration and retention of rainwater) through demonstration sites for EbA, instruments for spatial prioritization and impact assessment, and practice and policy recommendations on Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) development. This is an important step towards the operationalisation of PES schemes for EbA measures targeted at watershed Ecosystem Services.

Website: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Expected Results (EN):

Prowater investments result in 12 demonstration sites for EbA measures. They will be used to test the methods and will inspire thousands of visitors. The investments will improve infiltration and retention with a volume of 300,000 m³ clean water - eq. to the annual water supply of 7500 people or the monthly baseflow of a headwater stream (0.1 m³/s). The charters will engage 4 times 50 stakeholder groups (buyers-sellers, brokers) and will pave the road to further implementation of EbA-PES.

Expected Outputs (EN):

WP1: POLICY ANALYSIS will deliver an output that provides guidance on how to develop a rewarding scheme for EbA measures that promote infiltration and restoration. How to identify buyers, brokers and sellers and set up partnerships, including recommendations on ethical, political, juridical and organisational challenges. WP2: TOOLBOX development will deliver 1) a tool for spatial prioritization and evaluation of EbA measures and 2) a tool to quantify the co-benefits of EbA measures. WP3: VISION BUILDING will develop a long-term assessment and vision on water demand and supply challenges in the 2 Seas Region (WP3), making use of participatory approaches (workshops & meetings with buyers and brokers). WP4 IMPLEMENTATION will showcase the effective implementation (investments) of EbA measures in the field (good practices). For each site, we will quantify the impacts and produce information panes for visitors to the sites.

Thematic information

Water management Sustainable management of natural resources

Specific Objective: Improve the ecosystem-based capacity of 2 Seas stakeholders to climate change and its associated water-related effects

Thematic Objective: (05) promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management by:

Investment Priority: (05a) supporting investment for adaptation to climate change, including ecosystem-based approaches

Partners (10)

Lead Partner: Vlaamse Overheid, Departement Omgeving

Department: Department Omgeving, Flemish Administration

Address: Koning Albert II-laan 20 bus 8, 1000 Brussel, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 722 550.00

ERDF budget: EUR 433 530.00

South East Water (SEW)

Name: South East Water (SEW)

Department: Environmental

Address: Station Road, BN26 6TF Berwick, United Kingdom

Legal status: private

Total budget: EUR 255 370.00

ERDF budget: EUR 153 222.00

Universiteit Antwerpen – Onderzoeksgroep Ecosysteembeheer (UA)

Name: Universiteit Antwerpen – Onderzoeksgroep Ecosysteembeheer (UA)

Department: Department of Biology

Address: Universiteitsplein 1c, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 679 307.40

ERDF budget: EUR 407 584.44

Provincie Antwerpen

Name: Provincie Antwerpen

Department: Dienst Duurzaam Milieu en Natuurbeleid (DMN) en Dienst Integraal Waterbeleid (DIW)

Address: Koningin Elisabethlei 22, 2018 Antwerpen, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 474 720.00

ERDF budget: EUR 284 832.00

Pidpa

Name: Pidpa

Department: Pidpa - Unit Water abstraction and Environment

Address: Desguinlei 246, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 381 840.00

ERDF budget: EUR 229 104.00

Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT)

Name: Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT)

Department: Catchment Management

Address: Westcountry Rivers Trust, Rain-Charm House, Kyl Cober Parc, PL17 8PY Stoke Climsland , United Kingdom

Legal status: private

Total budget: EUR 717 522.00

ERDF budget: EUR 430 513.20

Kent County Council (KCC)

Name: Kent County Council (KCC)

Department: Spatial Planning and Policy

Address: Invicta House County Hall, ME14 1XX Maidstone , United Kingdom

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 182 159.15

ERDF budget: EUR 109 295.49

Waterschap Brabantse Delta (WBD)

Name: Waterschap Brabantse Delta (WBD)

Department: Water Systems Department / Policy and Plan Advisory Unit

Address: Bouvignelaan 5, 4836 AA Breda, Netherlands

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 1 028 594.35

ERDF budget: EUR 617 156.61

South East Rivers Trust (SERT)

Name: South East Rivers Trust (SERT)

Department: Catchment Management

Address: Denmark Road, SM5 2JG Carshalton, United Kingdom

Legal status: private

Total budget: EUR 452 017.85

ERDF budget: EUR 271 210.71

Natuurpunt (NP)

Name: Natuurpunt (NP)

Department: Project and Grants Department

Address: Coxiestraat 11, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium

Legal status: public

Total budget: EUR 632 542.95

ERDF budget: EUR 379 525.77

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

South East Water (SEW)

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

Universiteit Antwerpen – Onderzoeksgroep Ecosysteembeheer (UA)

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

Province of Antwerp

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

Pidpa

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

Westcountry Rivers Trust (WRT)

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

Kent County Council (KCC)

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

Waterschap Brabantse Delta (WBD)

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

South East Rivers Trust (SERT)

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

Vlaamse Overheid, Departement Omgeving

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Partners and Projects info

Natuurpunt (NP)

Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Project acronym: PROWATER

Project start date: 2018-09-01

Project end date: 2022-08-31

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 5 526 623.70

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 3 315 974.22

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 60.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 3 315 974.22.

Documents

Documents on this project are listed below, and organised by category. Please note field "Data source", attached to each document. Keep.eu users are free to use these documents as long as they mention the data source and keep.eu.

Reports

PROWATER: Communication Strategy

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-08-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Regional SWOT on the operationalisation of a rewarding system for EbA (Flemish Region)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-08-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Regional SWOT on the operationalisation of a rewarding system for EbA (Netherlands)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-08-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Regional SWOT on the operationalisation of a rewarding system for EbA (South of England)

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-08-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Risks & challenges to water resources

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-08-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Risks & challenges to water resources

Attachment type: file

Type of document: Report

Data source: http://www.interreg2seas.eu/

Publication date: 2023-10-23

Document date: 2022-08-31

Languages: en

Attachment file: Download

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2014 - 2020 INTERREG V-A France - Belgium - The Netherlands - United Kingdom (Les Deux Mers / Two seas / Twee Zeeën)

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2020-06-18

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

82 / 82 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

857 / 887 (96.62%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the Programme. Achievements were retrieved by Interact from the Programme website (http://www.interreg2seas.eu/), or a website directly linked from it, on 2021-11-09 and 2024-03-08.

The financial data featured in keep.eu for this programme, it's projects and its partners is not exact and should be taken as a reference only.

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Protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale

Description

Thematic information

Partners (10)

Partners map

Summary

Documents

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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