Deadline: 12-Apr-23
The European Commission (EC) has announced the proposals to Improve the reliability and effectiveness of alternative water resources supply systems and technologies.
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.
Funding Information
The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant).
Expected Outcomes
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.
Eligibility Criteria
- To become a beneficiary, legal entities must be eligible for funding.
- To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions,
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States,
- countries associated to Horizon Europe;
- the following low- and middle-income countries.
For more information, visit European Commission.