Deltares-led Horizon Europe STARS4Water proposal selected for funding

Responding to the call for research proposals Improved understanding, observation and monitoring of water resources availability the Deltares-led STARS4Water proposal has been selected for EC funding and is currently in contract negotiation. Stars4Water is the acronym for ‘Supporting Stakeholders for Adaptive, Resilient and Sustainable Water Management’. The four-year project will bring expertise in data science, software development, water resources management, river basin hydrology, ecological flows and water use by economic sectors together. The team involves research organizations, small and medium enterprises, and river basin organizations – 21 partners overall.

STARS4Water aims to improve the understanding of climate change impact on water resources availability and the vulnerabilities for ecosystems, society and economic sectors at river basin scale. It will also develop and deliver new data services and data driven models for better decision-making support on planning actions for adaptive, resilient and sustainable management of fresh water resources.

The STARS4Water project includes two distinctive elements. First, the project team will work with seven river basin organizations in a co-creation, living lab approach. The new services and models will be co-designed with stakeholders to meet their needs on data and information, ensuring relevance and uptake for use beyond the lifetime of the project.

Second, the team will advance the use of new datasets and models and integrate these in current river basin management information tools and decision-making processes. New datasets and models offer possibilities for improved projections on water resources availability, and the new insights on links between water, nature, society ask for a broader set of indicators to be considered in decision-making on water management.

It is the consortium’s firm conviction that for substantial progress in climate change adaptation with respect to water resources management the two elements need to be combined.

Consortium Members

River Basin Organisations

• Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat – Rijkswaterstaat (NL, Rhine Basin)
• Administratia Fluviala a Dunarii de Jos R.A. Galati (RO, Lower Danube Basin)
• EPTB Seine Grands Lacs (FR, Seine Basin)
• Confederación Hidrográfica del Duero (ES, Duero Basin)
• Anglian Water Services Ltd. (AWS) (UK, Anglia Water Region)
• KRITI [GR, Messara Basin]
• Helenic Ministery of Environment and Energy, directorate for Protection and Management of
• Aquatic Environment (GR, Messara Basin)
• Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NO, Drammen Basin)

Research partners

• Deltares (NL)
• Seven Engineering Consultants (GR)
• Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (FR)
• VanderSat B.V. (NL)
• Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (AT)
• Instituto Geológico y Minero de España-CSIC (ES)
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES)
• Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Pentru Geologie si Geoecologie Marina (RO)
• United Kingdom Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UK)
• Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (DE)
• Johannes Kepler Universität Linz (AT)
• Bundesanstalt für Gewässerkunde (DE)
• Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NO)
• Warsaw University of Life Sciences (PL)