Boost the sponge function of landscape as a way to improve climate-resilience to water management challenges

Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Best available and improved or new solutions to improve sponge function of soil, ground water and surface water systems are used and/or made available to all regions and communities across EU for replication.
• Solutions for improving climate-resilience to extreme events have been developed, tested and brought closer to the market.
• Regions and communities have been actively engaged and involved in development and testing of a transformative solutions for climate resilience building.

This topic contributes to the second objective of the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change (as well as the Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’ as well as the Mission ‘A soil deal for Europe’) and corresponds to one of the thematic research areas described in the Climate Adaptation Mission Implementation Plan^[1]. It is to support knowledge dissemination amongst regions and communities and to test solutions that help the management of areas (both land-use, soil, ground water and surface water), in particular in facing present and future extreme weather events, through developing integrated approach to increase the sponge functioning of areas by the restoration of natural retention functions of the soil, ground water and small tributaries of surface water systems in river basins, with special attention to the potential of natural and semi-natural habitats restoration and enlargement.

When the natural sponge function of an area is efficient, water falling down as precipitation will have the opportunity to infiltrate the soil, where it is stored and filtered at the same time. It can either percolate to the deeper ground water, slowly released to the surrounding small streams and/or serve as a source for the vegetation at that location. The whole system of soil, water and vegetation (ecosystem) will buffer the release of water during intensive rainfall on one hand and will serve as a source of fresh, clean water in times of drought. Both soil, water and air quality as well as biodiversity will benefit from it. Providing better water and soil management will be beneficial for both rural and urban areas, and many sectors depending on enough clean surface and ground water such as drinking water production, agriculture, forestry, transport, tourism and leisure, etcetera.

Changes in the way land is managed can address interconnected issues like flooding, drought, wildfires, human health, and regional temperature shifts, all aspects related to building climate resilience.

Effectively increasing or restoring the natural water retention function of the landscape, both through improving the way soil, ground water, surface water and ecosystems are managed, will generate many ecosystem services for a relative low price, bringing benefits to a whole array of different functions. This adding up of services by restoration of the natural retention function of the landscape, brings a benefit which is (much) larger than the costs of restoration in combination with the cost of coping with the present and future damages caused by extreme climate events such as extreme droughts and intensive rainfall, either long term or through cloud-bursts. Investing in restoration of the sponge function of the landscape can save farmers, municipalities, insurers, and tax payers substantial amounts of money, while reducing risk, and providing multiple benefits (such as flood and drought resilience, reduced erosion, increase biodiversity, moderation of local temperatures, while also improving availability of clean water and improve local economies).

The proposals should address all the following aspects:

• To collect the best available knowledge, including local knowledge, and where appropriate ‘traditional knowledge’, and define the best approaches on possible ways, positive impacts and challenges, strengths and weaknesses, in improving the sponge functioning of landscape as a way to improve its ability to contribute to water management, in particular in facing extreme events. The review of existing knowledge should also include experiences matured in different parts of Europe and from Horizon 2020 projects.

• To undertake research and test innovative solutions using the activities ongoing in the regions and communities as case studies, to better understand their success factors and to explore and experiment new innovative ways of improving water retention capacity through nature-based solutions, in comparison to alternative solutions, such as those including gray infrastructure. Opportunities offered by passive management of land as low cost approach should be also considered and included.

• To ensure synergies between the Adaptation Mission and other relevant programmes and initiatives, in supporting building climate resilience to cope with extreme weather events at local, regional, national, and European level and to share relevant knowledge and experience developed in the Mission more broadly.

The European Commission intends to establish a network and coordination activities amongst all the projects funded for the implementation of the Climate adaptation Mission, under the Horizon 2020 European Green Deal call and under Horizon Europe relevant for adaptation, and that will be coordinated by the soon to be established Mission Implementation Platform. Projects funded under this topic are strongly encouraged to participate in networking and joint activities with other projects funded under other topics in the Mission Climate Adaptation as well as in other Missions, namely the Soil Mission and Ocean and Waters Mission, as appropriate. These networking and joint activities could, for example, involve the participation in joint workshops, the exchange of knowledge, the development and adoption of best practices, or joint communication activities. To this extent, proposals should provide for dedicated activities and earmark appropriate resources.

[1] https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/implementation-plans-eu-missions_en