Cofunded by the European Union

Update - The Sustainability Research and Innovation (SRI) Congress, a collaborative global initiative of Future Earth and the Belmont Forum on global changes.

  • Future Earth, is an international organisation advancing transformative research in global change and informed sustainability decision-making.
  • Belmont Forum, is an international funding partnership that mobilises co-produced and co-implemented systemic approaches to global environmental change.

Water4All invited to the session on Nature-based solutions

Water4All was invited with other Horizon Europe Partnerships to participate in the first roundtable of the session “Horizon Europe Partnerships' Dialogue: Nature-based Solutions for Urban, Water and Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity”, organised by Network Nature.

More visibility: Water4All & Nature-bases Solutions (NbS)

This was an excellent opportunity to give more international visibility to the programme and to explain to the audience in Helsinki and online to what extent Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are integrated into the strategic agenda.

It was highlighted that NbS do not only contribute to the protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity, but they also drive climate change resilience and adaptation by offering innovative approaches for water quality and quantity control, water treatment and water reuse.

The need for more data and knowledge sharing as well as the importance of improving the implementation phase of NbS through better science-policy interfaces were also acknowledged by Water4All.

Strengthen collaboration

All Partnership representatives agreed on the need to strengthen collaboration both in the scoping of future calls for proposals and additional activities. Knowledge sharing, strategic alignment, clustering of projects thematically related, and collaboration in the set-up of living labs/ demonstration activities were mentioned.

Reinforced collaboration with Horizon Europe Missions (Adaptation to Climate Change, Restoring our Oceans and Waters, and New Bauhaus) was also recommended.

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April 2024

A Roundtable Session on Horizon Europe Partnerships' Dialogue: Nature-based Solutions for Urban, Water and Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity. 

On the occasion of the SRI 2024 Congress (June 10-14, Helsinki) Water4All is co-organizing a roundtable session with three other Horizon Europe Partnerships;

  • Biodiversa+,
  • Driving Urban Transitions
  • Sustainable Blue Economy Partnerships.

Green and blue transitions

The session will explore the dynamic interplay between green and blue transitions, emphasizing nature-based solutions (NBS) in land-based, inland water and marine ecosystems through the concrete strategies and activities of the Partnerships. The discussion will delve into the nexus between knowledge, actions, and impacts to devise effective strategies addressing the multifaceted implications on port cities, biodiversity, water resources, and socio-economic stability.

Through the dialogue across the partnerships’ representatives and invited speakers, and audience in a hybrid format, the session aims at the following outcomes:

  • Exploring Partnerships’ roadmaps on the integration of innovative technologies and methods(NBSs, blue/green infrastructures, smart port cities, etc.) into water management, marine strategies, urban planning and biodiversity protection.
  • Aligning research priorities across Partnerships for fostering holistic policies to optimize resource utilization and resilience to global changes, aligning with the green transition’s emphasis on sustainability.
  • Revealing best practices and solutions for collaborative action across disciplines and policy areas.

More information about the SRI 2024 is available on the event’s website.

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The Water4All Partnership - Water Security for the Planet - is a funding programme for scientific research in freshwater. It aims to tackle water challenges to face climate change, help to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and boost the EU’s competitiveness and growth.

It is co-funded by the European Union within the frame of the Horizon Europe programme (a key funding programme for research and innovation). The Partnership duration is for seven years from 2022.

The Water4All objective is to enable water security at a large scale and in the long term. Its goal is also to tackle water issues in a holistic frame. 

All forms of life on earth need water. All human activities operate with this resource. Water is part of our everyday life. It is also integrated within urban and countryside landscapes. It is one of the most valuable elements we share with plants and animals.

These simple facts must be kept in mind to understand the Water4All ambition.

This resource is weakened in many places due to climate changes, and human habits. We know that we can improve the way we use water. Everyone has a role to play and especially the scientific research community.

Scientific research is the heart of the Partnership as It is a powerful tool to improve knowledge on preserving, restoring, and managing this essential resource. 

International cooperation is also needed as water has no borders on Earth and runs from one country to another.

Water4All brings together a broad and cohesive group of 90 partners from 33 countries in the European Union and beyond. This consortium gathers partners from the whole water Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) chain.