Funding Programme

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation.

Read more about the Horizon Europe programme here.

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Call overview

This call aims to improve the sustainability of various alternative water supply resources in the context of climate change and water scarcity adaptation.

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Expected outcome

In support of the European Green Deal and EU water-related policies, successful proposals will contribute to fostering the adaptation of water resources to climate change, in particular the expected impact of the Destination ‘Land, ocean and water for climate action’ to “Advance understanding and science to support adaptation and resilience of natural and managed ecosystems, ocean, water and soil systems and economic sectors in the context of the changing climate”.

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

• Recommendations on alternative water resources options in water scarce areas to address current and future challenges to water supplies and adapt to climate change, ensuring the water quality for a specific uses;
• Support for decision makers to integrate alternative water resources supply technologies in their strategic plans for water resources management taking into consideration the relevant EU regulatory frameworks (e.g. water and marine related policies, climate change adaptation strategy, Fit for 55);
• Increased societal awareness, acceptance of and trust in of several alternative water supply resources for water use in various societal, environmental and economic contexts;
• Increased market potential of alternative water resources.

Scope

The search for affordable, acceptable and reliable solutions is today a common challenge for water supply planners. A changing climate and increasing water scarcity, population growth, urbanisation and intensifying economic activities have put a strain on traditional water resources, which typically rely on available surface and groundwater resources. Ensuring the availability and sustainability of both surface and groundwater is a key element of the new EU strategy on adaptation to climate change.

According to a recent report on the drivers of and pressures arising from selected key water management challenges (EEA, 2021), water abstraction for public water supply, agriculture and industry is the main significant cause of failure to achieve good quantitative status. Over abstraction of surface water bodies can alter freshwater ecosystems and have adverse ecological effects, including decline of biodiversity. In addition, the over abstraction of groundwater bodies can lower groundwater levels with further impacts on groundwater-dependent aquatic ecosystems and cause salinisation of coastal aquifers, making them unusable for drinking water supply.

To address these problems and in order to improve the security of water supply, alternative water resources, such as rainwater harvesting, storm water, water reuse and reclamation, brackish and sea water desalination, aquifer recharge, are increasingly being used by water managers in rural, coastal and urban areas. However, in many case, the implementation of several alternative water resources is not sustainable and not embedded in a strategic integrated water management plan at river basin or regional scale. In many cases the negative environmental impacts and associated infrastructure maintenance and investments costs are not properly assessed, nor the costs associated with meeting the EU water policy related requirements (i.e. WFD requirements). Finally, the public/social acceptance of several alternative water resources is lacking and this prevent their further implementation and market uptake. Further research and innovation is needed for making full use of alternative water resources.

Additionally, assessments and recommendations of how alternative water supply sources and infrastructures can relate to existing - mostly centralized - water utility regimes remain unexplored and there is a need to explore how the regulations around these centralized regimes can support infrastructure diversification.

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Objectives

The objective of this action is to improve the sustainability of various alternative water supply resources in the context of climate change and water scarcity adaptation. To achieve this objective the following issues should be addressed:

• Improve the efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness and sustainable design of a wide range of alternative water solutions (e.g., rainwater harvesting, storm water, water reclamation and reuse , brackish and sea water desalination, aquifer recharge).
• Assess the interaction between choices of the various alternative water supply technologies with the infrastructure design and development, the scale of operation and the water-energy interactions.
• Assess various alternative water solutions with regards to their potential their innovation, climate mitigation and adaptation and their environmental and health impacts. Explore the potential of digital technologies for appropriate data collection and integration. Attention should be given to reducing the negative impacts of infrastructures to increase water supply in water-scarce areas as well as reducing water demand (rebound effect).
• Develop a comprehensive framework or guidance tool for selecting specific technologies and management strategies for different water scarcity situations that can be adapted on a case-by-case basis and with a view of developing large-scale deployment strategies, in line with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.
• Assess the critical factors that hinder the public acceptance of alternative water resources and identify measures and actions (e.g., policy actions, marketing interventions) to encourage their acceptance.

The possible participation of the JRC in the selected project would ensure that the approach proposed can be integrated as a scenario in the tool used by the European Commission for the estimation of water availability.

This action should bring together relevant researchers, technology providers, water utilities, business representatives, investors, policy makers and other water users and citizens. The active participation and engagement of different stakeholders should span the entire project development and implementation to ensure performance and sustainability and maximise the final impact.

Proposals should cover various regions with a balanced coverage reflecting the various biogeographical and climate zones in Europe in a representative way.

The inclusion of relevant SSH expertise would be also needed to ensure the proposed solutions are also socially accepted.

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Eligibility

To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:

• the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions;
• the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States;
• eligible non-EU countries including countries associated to Horizon Europe and low- and middle-income countries.

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Consortium composition

Unless otherwise provided for in the specific call conditions, legal entities forming a consortium are eligible to participate in actions provided that the consortium includes:

• at least one independent legal entity established in a Member State; and
• at least two other independent legal entities, each established in different Member States or Associated Countries.

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Budget

The total indicative budget for the topic is EUR 10.00 million.

The Commission estimates that an EU contribution of around EUR 3.30 million would allow these outcomes to be addressed appropriately.