Strengthening the resilience of water systems and water sector to climate and global socio-economic change impacts
HORIZON-CL6-2025-02-CLIMATE-01-two-stage
Funding Amount
Amount not specified
Deadline
04/09/2025
Eligible Organization Types
Non-profit, Private Business, Research Institution, Public Institution
Trusted by
What is the Strengthening the resilience of water systems and water sector to climate and global socio-economic change impacts Call?
Grant Description
Supports innovation to develop and demonstrate advanced tools and strategies for forecasting and managing water resources across European regions under climate change, addressing floods, droughts and pollution. Seeks to restore natural water cycles, enhance water use efficiency, integrate cross-sectoral governance, support biodiversity and inform resilient urban and rural planning. Outputs include validated forecasting models, decision support tools, nature-based retention measures and economic ...
Required Results for Successful Funding
Expected Outcomes
Project results are expected to contribute to:
1. Enhanced assessment and management of the changing hydrological cycle at fine spatial scales, reducing climate-amplified water risks (floods, droughts) by advancing innovative observing systems, resilient land use and natural cycle restoration, and strengthening cross-sectoral and transboundary catchment cooperation.
2. Increased water use efficiency across all sectors at the basin level, achieving better balance between demand and supply, transforming water economics and reforming governance structures.
3. Improved policymaker capacity for water infrastructure planning and management, ensuring fair access to drinking water and other essential uses under climate change.
1. Enhanced assessment and management of the changing hydrological cycle at fine spatial scales, reducing climate-amplified water risks (floods, droughts) by advancing innovative observing systems, resilient land use and natural cycle restoration, and strengthening cross-sectoral and transboundary catchment cooperation.
2. Increased water use efficiency across all sectors at the basin level, achieving better balance between demand and supply, transforming water economics and reforming governance structures.
3. Improved policymaker capacity for water infrastructure planning and management, ensuring fair access to drinking water and other essential uses under climate change.
Funded areas
Scope Requirements
Proposals must:
1. Address the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus with a “source to sea” perspective, supporting biodiversity protection and restoration.
2. Forecast both blue and green water availability alongside sectoral water demands using integrated management approaches for seasonal and long-term planning.
3. Develop or adapt water allocation tools that integrate quantity and quality needs across agricultural, industrial, urban and ecosystem sectors.
4. Provide resilient urban/rural planning and infrastructure management strategies to control run-off and mitigate flood and drought risks.
5. Explore and demonstrate natural water retention measures in the landscape to enhance watershed resilience.
6. Overcome fragmentation of water monitoring by combining satellite (Copernicus), in-situ, participatory and model data to reduce uncertainty and meet end-user needs.
7. Assess:
a. Cost-efficient, sustainable alternative water resource production methods adapted to anticipated uses.
b. Governance frameworks for cross-sectoral policy coordination and reliable multi-use water allocation.
c. Suitability and harmonization of water-efficiency indicators across sectors.
d. Strategies to anticipate and mitigate land-use impacts of recurrent floods and droughts.
e. Effects of water transfers on ecosystems, populations and economic sectors over multiple time horizons.
f. Solutions ensuring sufficient, high-quality water for all ecosystem components while preventing invasive species spread.
8. Review the economic foundations of current water management (pricing, trade policies) under climate change to inform new frameworks that incentivize innovation and private investment.
9. Avoid duplication with JRC and other EU-funded work; build complementarities with EU Missions (Adaptation to Climate Change, Restore our Ocean and Waters), Partnerships (Water4All, Biodiversa+), IPBES assessments, Copernicus services, and Destination Earth digital twins.
10. Budget for participation in relevant cluster activities and plan for engagement in follow-up coordination and synergies with related Horizon Europe projects.
Special Conditions
1. Address the water-energy-food-ecosystem (WEFE) nexus with a “source to sea” perspective, supporting biodiversity protection and restoration.
2. Forecast both blue and green water availability alongside sectoral water demands using integrated management approaches for seasonal and long-term planning.
3. Develop or adapt water allocation tools that integrate quantity and quality needs across agricultural, industrial, urban and ecosystem sectors.
4. Provide resilient urban/rural planning and infrastructure management strategies to control run-off and mitigate flood and drought risks.
5. Explore and demonstrate natural water retention measures in the landscape to enhance watershed resilience.
6. Overcome fragmentation of water monitoring by combining satellite (Copernicus), in-situ, participatory and model data to reduce uncertainty and meet end-user needs.
7. Assess:
a. Cost-efficient, sustainable alternative water resource production methods adapted to anticipated uses.
b. Governance frameworks for cross-sectoral policy coordination and reliable multi-use water allocation.
c. Suitability and harmonization of water-efficiency indicators across sectors.
d. Strategies to anticipate and mitigate land-use impacts of recurrent floods and droughts.
e. Effects of water transfers on ecosystems, populations and economic sectors over multiple time horizons.
f. Solutions ensuring sufficient, high-quality water for all ecosystem components while preventing invasive species spread.
8. Review the economic foundations of current water management (pricing, trade policies) under climate change to inform new frameworks that incentivize innovation and private investment.
9. Avoid duplication with JRC and other EU-funded work; build complementarities with EU Missions (Adaptation to Climate Change, Restore our Ocean and Waters), Partnerships (Water4All, Biodiversa+), IPBES assessments, Copernicus services, and Destination Earth digital twins.
10. Budget for participation in relevant cluster activities and plan for engagement in follow-up coordination and synergies with related Horizon Europe projects.
Special Conditions
Additional Conditions for Applicants
Special Conditions
- Submission is via a two-stage model (stage 1 blind evaluation pilot).
• Type of action: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) under a budget-based Grant Agreement.
• Eligible participants per Horizon Europe rules; JRC may join consortia.
• Satellite-based data users must employ Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services.
• Proposals must allocate budget for related cluster coordination and stakeholder workshops.
• Must integrate SSH expertise, including gender and citizen science approaches.
• Ensure inclusion of gender, disability, age, socioeconomic status, cultural/ethnic origins, sexual orientation and their intersections in stakeholder engagement.
• Comply with MGA model, Financial Regulation 2024/2509, HE Programme Guide, and all General Annexes (A–G).
Expected Outcomes
• Type of action: HORIZON Innovation Actions (HORIZON-IA) under a budget-based Grant Agreement.
• Eligible participants per Horizon Europe rules; JRC may join consortia.
• Satellite-based data users must employ Copernicus and/or Galileo/EGNOS services.
• Proposals must allocate budget for related cluster coordination and stakeholder workshops.
• Must integrate SSH expertise, including gender and citizen science approaches.
• Ensure inclusion of gender, disability, age, socioeconomic status, cultural/ethnic origins, sexual orientation and their intersections in stakeholder engagement.
• Comply with MGA model, Financial Regulation 2024/2509, HE Programme Guide, and all General Annexes (A–G).
Expected Outcomes
Important dates
Open from: 06/05/2025
Deadline:04/09/2025
Application period has ended
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