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Interreg PROWATER

Value of EU Grant - €5.5 million

Name of funding programme - Interreg 2 Seas Fund

Start and end dates - November 2017 to August 2022

PROWATER stands for 'protecting and restoring raw water sources through actions at the landscape scale'. The project contributes to climate adaptation by restoring the water storage of the landscape via ecosystem-based adaptation measures. Examples include forest conversion, natural water retention or restoration of soil compaction.

Climate projections for the 2 seas area (covering coastal areas of England, France, Belgium (Flanders) and the Netherlands), point towards drier and warmer summers with more extreme and concentrated precipitation events in the form of summer storms. This could result in a higher demand for water.

During the project, partners will carry out various projects on site, which will be showcased to the public.

The project has a budget of more than €5.5 million, with €3,315,974 received through the Interreg 2 Seas Fund (ERDF). In each partner country, water production companies, governments and research institutes as well as land managers are involved to achieve a supported vision, to work on climate adaptation and to increase resilience against droughts and extreme precipitation based on ecosystem services.

The project wants to close the information gap with policy and the water users by developing a vision to tackle water shortages and drought risks in the long term.

A payment for ecosystem services model will be developed through the measures identified throughout the project. Based on this model, organisations that take measures to combat water scarcity can receive compensation. In return, they provide services to society by improving the quality of the living environment.