Project overview
Management of urban water resources in Central Europe facing climate change
The impact of climate change is increasingly important for the design, construction, and maintenance of water infrastructure. Scarcity of water resources due to extreme weather events and falling groundwater levels threaten our cities and regions. The MAURICE project introduced new water management solutions for cities. The partnership helped to integrate these into broader concepts on regional climate change adaptation and encouraged the uptake of urban water management tools and measures.
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2,92m €
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Project Budget
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80%
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of the Budget is funded by ERDF
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6
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Countries
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6
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Regions
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11
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Partners
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6
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Pilots
Duration
Start date
End date
Project progress
About the project
Climate change poses a risk to the availability of water resources in many Central European countries. These regions need to strengthen their resilience to extreme weather events, such as urban droughts and floods, as well as to the depletion of urban groundwater resources.
Both falling groundwater levels over the long term and excessive rainfall occurring over short periods have become urgent challenges requiring adequate water management practices.
The project aim was to enhance the capacity of regions in Central Europe for climate change resilience in the aspect of urban water resources management by joint development of climate change adaptation solutions.
The project delivered solutions dedicated for public administrations and water management bodies, supporting changes in water management and spatial planning practices that contribute to increasing regional resilience to climate change.
The cooperation network of 11 organisations jointly developed and implemented 6 pilot actions, prepared 8 solutions, and developed 6 action plans and strategies supporting cities, regions, and water management and water supply authorities.
Over three years of cooperation, MAURICE project strengthened collaboration among partners and increased the awareness of local and regional policymakers by developing, testing, and promoting jointly developed good practices for climate change adaptation in the context of urban water management.
Project partnership
Project partners
Lead partner
Central Mining Institute - National Research Institute
Department of Water Protection
Project partner
Biuro ds. Geologii / Geology office
Total partner budget
236,496 €
Amt für Umweltschutz (Department for Environmental Protection)
Total partner budget
517,950 €
Total partner budget
256,258 €
Ústav pro nanomateriály, pokročilé technologie a inovace / Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation
Total partner budget
261,870 €
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (DICA)
Total partner budget
369,600 €
Total partner budget
301,796 €
Groundwater - Hydrogeology
Total partner budget
243,552 €
Total partner budget
163,751 €
Department of Hydrotechnics
Total partner budget
148,391 €
ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION AND PUBLIC UTILITIES
Total partner budget
51,996 €
Roadmap
1
Challenge
We tackled the challenges of managing changing water quality, rainwater management and groundwater deficit management.
We identified six different areas to support water resources in cities and preserve them for future generations. Our pilot actions aimed to address the difficulties faced by various regions in Central Europe.
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Problem
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Solution
We have delivered climate change-adaptation solutions for public administration, water management and supply bodies in Central Europe. These joint-developed solutions together with a management strategy for modern urban water management considering climate change will foster behavioural change in water management and spatial planning practices.
News
Events
Pilot actions
Outputs
MAURICE network for enhancing climate change resilience in urban and regional water management
In the early stages of the project, a network has been created to encourage cross-border collaboration. This network, comprising project partners and associated partners, will engage in workshops and capacity-building activities to enhance urban water management skills. Its aim is to highlight relevant issues within each region's agenda and to advocate for their integration into the education and training of professionals.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
Transnational Water Management strategy and action plans for the six municipalities /regional areas considered by the project
The transnational water management strategy and action plans of the six project partners are collaboratively crafted through a co-creation and design process, drawing insights from pilot activities. A comprehensive summary report will offer general direction for local and regional processes, consolidating the outcomes of local pilot initiatives as exemplary practices.
Type of output: Strategies and action plans
Tools for groundwater behavior forecast as support for public authorities’ decision making
Following the completion of the project period in each pilot action area, public authorities will have access to numerical model tools and "what if" analysis. These resources enable the monitoring of the effects of implemented adaptation measures. Beyond the project's scope, these tools can also aid in supporting policy decisions and forecasting the potential impacts of future adaptation measures.
Type of output: Solutions
The guidelines to ensure groundwater availability and climate change resilience by adaptation measures
Collaborating partners from Italy, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and Croatia will collaborate to devise technical adaptation solutions for each pilot action, focusing on mitigating the impacts of climate change on groundwater availability. The outcome will be a comprehensive technical document outlining the solutions in detail, including the necessary implementation information. This resource will empower public authorities and stakeholders to implement the guidelines on a broader scale, extending to other Central European countries. The solutions will be collectively deliberated upon during meetings of the Regional Implementation Groups, aiming to drive the implementation of the water management strategy.
Type of output: Solutions
The guidelines for public administration to implement the beneficial rainwater management
The guidelines encompass processes for implementing rainwater management within the urban water cycle with the aim of enhancing cities' resilience to climate change. It delineates the hazards associated with rainfall, evaluates the city's capacity for rainwater reuse (comprising the water management study, defining the city's boundaries based on rainfall effects, and the feasibility of rainwater harvesting and reuse). Furthermore, it discusses incorporating rainwater reuse into spatial and investment planning and overcoming barriers to implementing rainwater management measures.
Type of output: Solutions
The guidelines for the selection of rainwater treatment technologies for further use
The guidelines provide criteria for selecting and evaluating technologies suitable for treating and purifying rainwater collected from different sources contaminated with various pollutants. These technologies are intended for urban applications such as irrigating urban green spaces, road sprinkling, humidifying during hot weather, incorporating into building systems, recharging groundwater, and more.
Type of output: Solutions
The guidelines for designing blue-green infrastructure for rainwater retention and groundwater recharge
The guidelines focus on designing residential areas and urban spaces that prioritize local water retention, reducing runoff, and enhancing the infiltration of precipitation across various types of land cover. The design includes strategies for managing excess runoff water by utilizing it for landscape irrigation during dry periods and recharging groundwater.
Type of output: Solutions
The use of the infiltration capacity map from field investigation to planning, consent and decision-making
This adopted technical document serves as a resource for planners, spatial planners, and consenting bodies. It provides criteria for climate resilient design, planning, and benchmarking of urban drainage interventions. The document focuses on technical criteria that directly relate to the effectiveness of spatial regulation elements.
Type of output: Solutions
Surveying urban water mass flows and contaminants to set resilient drainage and infiltration targets
A technical document targeted towards sewerage managers and permit providers has been adopted as a concept for a focused study on mass flow distribution in urban areas. This study enables users to optimize sewerage and water treatment functions in order to enhance groundwater quality.
Type of output: Solutions
Project videos
Project documents
Deliverables
Infographics
Scientific publications
Project images
MAURICE
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Project on social media
Project contact
Grzegorz Gzyl
Email: ggzyl@gig.eu