Conventional, fragmented approaches to urban water management are no longer adequate as they have failed (or are likely to fail) from the perspective of cost effectiveness, technical performance, social equity, and environmental sustainability. A system-wide paradigm shift is required towards the formation of a synergic urban-water relationship. Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) provides a framework for interventions over the entire water cycle which simultaneously advance water resources security, enhance the quality of life, optimise economic growth, maintain ecological balance and improve water systems’ resilience to climate change. Effective implementation of IUWM though must overcome some important challenges before these benefits can be realized. UrbaQuantum sets clear Key Strategic Objectives (KSOs) through which the main challenges will be addressed, leading to effective implementation of IUWM. In the heart of the project are the diversified, real-world use cases. KSO #1: Develop sensing strategies & novel sensors for pathogens detection KSO #2: Develop novel sensors for microplastics and key chemical contaminants of emerging concern KSO #3: Develop new models and approaches for sewer overflows and sewer/surface water interaction KSO #4: Assess sources and pathways of water pollutants via urban stormwater KSO #5: Support water utilities operators and policymakers in planning (long-term) and operational (short-term) tasks through the integration of an Urban Water Platform (UWP) for decision-support KSO #6: Validate and demonstrate the approach and tools in real-world conditions KSO #7: Develop a framework for the effective application of the UrbaQuantum approach. Widely disseminate results & cooperate with the EU-scale stakeholders

WATERGRID’s objective is to develop and demonstrate the Smart Water Grid (SWG) concept for more climate resilient water management, particularly targeting extreme drought, but framed within Integrated Catchment Management, addressing the whole catchment in a holistic approach. The resource efficiency of Nature Based Solutions (NBS) previously established in eight sites will be analysed alongside the academic literature, forming an Evidence portfolio (Project Result 1 - PR1). Of these eight sites, five will be demonstrators, spread across the Atlantic, Continental, Mountain and Mediterranean biogeographical areas, with specific water scarcity challenges, NBS types and scales, in which 58 additional innovative and locally attuned NBS will be implemented to slow, move and actively store water for reuse as part of locally designed SWGs. Three validation sites will mainstream potential of the SWG approach and demonstrate replicability of the Project Results (PRs) that have been co-created and co-deployed with 138 stakeholders in a participatory approach. Protocols and standards will be developed, providing a step-by-step guide for the design, maintenance and operation of the SWG (PR2). A digital Platform (PR3) will display models of the catchment and a Design App will provide guidance to users on designing NBS into their SWGs. This Platform will be linked to a Monitoring programme (PR4) to display real time information via a Digital Twin to support long term maintenance of SWGs. An Operationalising toolkit (PR5) will create enabling social, governance and economic environments for sustainable SWGs. Finally, at least three Policy briefs (PR6) will display SWG benefits to various policies, from the EU to the local scale. By 2035, WATERGRID expects to increase by 20% the water available for usage to compensate scarcity, decreasing 7 types of water pollutants and saving 10.6M €/year through 37 SWGs across Europe.

Systems Innovation Approach (SIA) addresses the growing complexity, interdependencies and interconnectedness of modern societies and economies, focusing on the functions of the cross-sectoral system as a whole and on the variety of actors. The Climate Innovation Window (CIW) is the EU reference innovations marketplace for climate adaptation technologies. ARSINOE shapes the pathways to resilience by bringing together SIA and CIW, to build an ecosystem for climate change adaptation solutions. Within the ARSINOE ecosystem, pathways to solutions are co-created and co-designed by stakeholders, who can then select either existing CIW technologies, or technologies by new providers (or a combination) to form an innovation package. This package may be designed for implementation to a specific region, but its building blocks are transferable and re-usable; they can be re-adapted and updated. In this way, the user (region) gets an innovation package consisting of validated technologies (expanding the market for CIW); new technologies implemented in the specific local innovation package get the opportunity to be validated and become CIW members, while the society (citizens, stakeholders ) benefits as a whole. ARSINOE applies a three-tier, approach: (a) using SIA it integrates multi-faceted technological, digital, business, governance and environmental aspects with social innovation for the development of adaptation pathways to climate change for specific regions; (b) it links with CIW to form innovation packages by matching innovators with end-users/regions; (c) it fosters the ecosystem sustainability and growth with cross-fertilization and replication across regions and scales, at European level and beyond, using specific business models, exploitation and outreach actions. The ARSINOE approach is show-cased in 9 widely varied demonstrators, as a proof-of-concept with regards to its applicability, replicability, potential and efficacy.

Climate change impacts are here and now. The impacts on people, prosperity and planet are already pervasive but unevenly distributed, as stated in the new EU Blueprint strategy (European Commission-EC, 2019). To reduce climate-related risks, the EC and the IPCC agree that transformational adaptation is essential. The TranformAr project aims to develop and demonstrate products and services to launch and accelerate large-scale and disruptive adaptive process for transformational adaptation in vulnerable regions and communities across Europe. The 6 TransformAr lighthouse demonstrators face a common challenge: water-related risks and impacts of climate change. Based on existing successful initiatives, the project will develop, test and demonstrate solutions and pathways, integrated in Innovation Packages, in 6 territories. Transformational pathways, including an integrated risk assessment approach are co-developed by means of 9 Transformational Adaptive Blocks. A set of 22 tested actionable adaptive solutions are tested and demonstrated, ranging from nature-based solutions, innovative technologies, financing, insurance and governance models, awareness and behavioral change solutions. The project team, led by the University of Antwerp, gathers 22 partners from 11 countries and a well-balanced mix of sectoral and adaptation experts (5 RTOs and 1 SME), paired with 6 territories (4 local authorities and 2 charities), 8 additional solutions providers and 1 EU water-related NPO specialized that will support to structure a European Community of practice. Massive resilience increase and acceleration of transformation adaptation will be fostered by clustering various investors, testing bankable solutions, and defining viable (non-)commercial exploitation strategy for the TransformAr solutions, products and services.